As Congress Adjourns for Election Recess, Lawmakers Assign Blame for Unfinished Health Business

Although Congress made some progress in its most recent session, issues "central" to each party's domestic agenda, including a patients' bill of rights, a prescription drug benefit and an overhaul of Medicare, remain "deadlocked," the New York Times reports. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) on Oct. 18 blamed the Bush administration for a "very disappointing Congress," adding that the "nation [is] in worse shape than when Mr. Bush took office," the Times reports. Daschle said, "You have virtually no attention to domestic issues. You have a far greater, more poisoned political environment than we had two years ago. You have an administration that is looked upon around the world in the most dubious of ways." Meanwhile, Republicans said Daschle is responsible for the deadlocked issues because he attempted to "maximize opportunities for only Democratic versions of bills," the Times reports. According to GOP supporters, on certain "hard-fought issues," including the Medicare drug benefit, Daschle bypassed committees that could have produced compromise legislation in favor of bringing measures directly to the floor. According to the Times, the "finger-pointing" over who is responsible for the few key deadlocked issues demonstrates that the "tone in Washington is as vitriolic as ever." Regardless of which party gains control of the House and Senate after the November elections, the majorities are expected to remain small, indicating the situation is unlikely to change, the Times reports. "At lot of the dynamic you've seen these last two years will probably be still in play," Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) said (Mitchell, New York Times, 10/19).