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Letter: Blame both parties for bad bill

The Columbian
Published: September 9, 2012, 5:00pm

Chris Thompson’s Sept. 3 letter, “Legislation works against USPS,” regarding the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, appears to blame the Republicans and President George W. Bush for passage of the bill as “designed to break the postal union.” The law in question, HR 6407, passed the House by a voice vote on Dec. 8, 2006, and unanimous consent in the Senate on Dec. 9, 2006. The Republicans did not have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

Since the law passed the Senate on a unanimous consent vote, all 44 Democrats and the one independent in the Senate consented to the bill. What is even more compelling is the November 2006 election provided the Democrats with a majority in both the House and the Senate, so the Democrats could have filibustered the bill and had it reintroduced in the 110th Congress to prevent its passage. Additionally, two of the three co-sponsors for this bill were Democrats.

If Thompson’s point was to blame HR 6407 on Republicans the facts do not support his allegation.

If Thompson’s intent was to point out the inadequacy and ineptitude of Congress, then HR 6407 is simply one of hundreds of bills passed and signed by presidents that have had disastrous “unintended consequences.”

Larry Hellie

Vancouver

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