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Political Forecast: Another "Train Wreck" in October Legislating in Washington, D.C.is more mired in politics these days than usual. A severely-weakened President, a Congress with a razor-thin Republican majority, preparations for the 2000 presidential race, and the politics of personal destruction are all combining to make passage of even essential legislation slow and difficult. Many political observers predict that the Clinton Administration and congressional Republicans will be deadlocked on many funding and other essential bills until mid-September. Then, faced with the prospect of another government shut-down, Republicans will cave in to virtually all President Clinton's demands. From mid-September to mid-October, watch for a flurry of deal-making, with much public oratory and denunciations. Congress may try to break early in the fall, returning in 2000 for another series of election-year-dominated struggles. Another consensus prediction: despite brave talk from some groups, no official English legislation will pass Congress this year. Despite the success of grass-roots initiatives on official English and against bilingual education, Republican leaders and strategists are avoiding public support for English. President Clinton, bowing to pressure from Vice-President (and Presidential front-runner) Gore, has already passed the word that he will veto any such legislation, and Republicans have neither the political will nor the votes to over-ride a veto. It's not likely that Republicans will even consider any official English legislation, for fear of upsetting Hispanic leaders. |
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The
ELPAC Report 