In the World

In which the GOP senators act like public servants

By Steve Thorngate
April 20, 2012

For the last couple years, congressional Republicans have often acted as if the only point of governing is to do less of it. Not so with the Senate minority leadership this week:

With the blessing of top Republican leaders, the Senate Appropriations Committee gave quick approval Thursday to spending allocations for the coming year—consistent with the August debt deal but also significantly higher than the levels set by the House GOP for domestic programs.

The vote was near-unanimous, and it wasn't about naming a bridge or affirming that Congress still thinks 9/11 was bad--it's an actual contentious issue (keeping an earlier deal instead of moving the bars!), on which House Republicans are digging in their heels. It's not likely to be smooth bipartisan sailing from here on in the Senate, much less in the wider, never-ending budget fight. Still, encouraging.

Steve Thorngate

The Century managing editor is also a church musician and songwriter.

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