Congressman Brady: Congress Needs...
Monday, May 18, 2009 at 05:19PM 
In the aftermath of one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression, one thing the government owes U.S. voters and taxpayers is a full, clear and honest accounting for who and what caused this mess.
The Courier was in the lead last fall calling for Congress to create something along the lines of the 9-11 commission to investigate the financial collapse, determine the causes for it and offer recommendations on how we can avoid such incidents in the future. Any such commission would need to be truly bi-partisan, balanced and objective.
Instead, a Democratic-lead Congress appears to be preparing a partisan hatchet-job that will point fingers everywhere but at the members of their own party who helped contribute to this mess. If that’s where they’re headed with their proposed commission, it needs to be stopped in its tracks. Better no commission at all than a flawed analysis that seeks to conceal rather than reveal.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has been among those who have worked to create a truly bi-partisan commission to investigate the financial crisis. Brady, a member of the Joint Economic Committee, introduced H.R. 2111, the Congressional Commission on Financial Accountability and Preparedness Act. The legislation uses the 9-11 Commission as its model, and intends it to delve into all factors that contributed to the financial abuses and collapse including the role of lawmakers in Congress. According to Brady’s legislation, the commission would have consisted of five members, with two Democratic appointees, two Republican, and one member appointed by the Democrat majority leaders in the House and Senate but in consultation with the Republican minority leaders, thus assuring a non-partisan appointee.
But it appears the Democratic leadership in Congress doesn’t want a truly bi-partisan commission. Instead, the House recently put separate legislation creating a commission into a bill aimed at mortgage fraud protection. At first, according to Brady, Democrats tried to pass a version whose members would have included representatives of the financial services committees led by Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank – some of the people who actually should be targets of any commission investigation. After protests arose about such a biased plan, the House leadership opted instead for a commission of which a majority of its members would be appointed by Democrats. Of the 10 members of the proposed commission, six would be appointed by Democrats and four by Republicans.
“This commission is a sham. Like the fox guarding the henhouse, it shields Congress from scrutiny and protects lawmakers from being held accountable for the decisions they made that helped create this crisis,” said Brady, who is the ranking House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee.
Even worse, the Democratic leadership’s proposed commission wouldn’t finish its work and produce a report until December 2010, one month after the next congressional elections.
It’s clear already that there is plenty of blame to be spread around for this mess among both Democrats and Republicans. If voters and taxpayers want a full accounting of the mistakes that lead to our current financial crisis, they need to urge Congress to block this sham and instead adopt a truly bi-partisan plan, H.R. 2111.
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (5)
I think you should invite Nancy to East Texas for a fall hunt.
I am all for any new government heath care plan, so long as "every government representative and employee must be on the plan". If the health care plan is good enough for the people of this nation, then it should be good enough for government employees also!
I also wish that the Federal Reserve and the Federal Banks that they own, (and bailed out) would finish ruining the country so that the people can get rid of all of you and start over!
If $50k per year is the wage for a particular civilian profession or position, why do government employees, in the same position, get paid two to three times that much. Sounds like buying votes to me. This needs to change also! I have never seen a government employee that was as efficient as their counterpart in the real world.
I can't wait to see the faces of all those government employees when this nation goes bankrupt and they loose their retirement pension and their jobs!
Congressman Brady
As I have shared with you individually, I have a chronically ill child and have averaged 125 nights a year at Houston's Texas Childrens Hospital. A new development is that my wife now has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and is an MD Anderson patient. With that extensive experience with the health care system, I can tell you that it is difficult, yet inevitable, to realize that this issue is ultimately about money, power, and influence, and very little about care for people.
Lou Dobbs recently reported that when you parse the numbers, really this issue is entirely about 2 million people. If you take the pool and subtract those who have a health care option but choose to decline it; remove those who choose not to avail themselves of the already provided government services; and deduct those who have health care available through a working spouse, the number grows real small.
I choose to believe that most health care providers are genuine in thier desire to heal people where possible. But I have witnessed again and again the insurance companies interfere in protocols as the manage to the mean and disreagard the unique. I have witnessed physicians hide behind a generic, "I don't know if we can get your insurance to agree to that, so we'll try something else" reasoning.
Meanwhile, a little girl with a projected life span of between 9 years and 13 years of age, who recently turned 9, looks up to her mom and dad with an expression that says, "help."
I do not know the answer to the great debate, but I am confident it is not government control. I am sure the desire of those pushing it is simply votes.
Thank you for all you do for Southeast Texas and our nation.
Rudy Beeching
Congressman Brady, I truly believe with the out of control spending and this socialist president's far left agenda, it will not be long before we are a third world country. When that occurs, maybe we can start receiving assistance from China and Russia. After the Social Security manager's $700.000.00 tax paid retreat, I'm sure that will fix the fraud and waste in social security. Please, no third bail out money, I know it's strange but the taxed to death citizens are starting to wake up. In our county alone, taxes have increased at an alarming rate. Looks to me like we are trying to catch up with California. Please do your part to prevent this from happening.
Thank you for you service.
Rick Davis
Mr. Brady,
First I would like to thank you for your consistent conservative stance. It is refreshing to have at least one voice in Washington. Sad to say but the most dangerous threat to our country is the current administration and the Congress. Regarding the health care issue, what a joke this proposed bill is. No need to point out the ludicrous content of it, but then again maybe I should because it seems that no one has the time to read these things before voting on them. I have a simple suggestion. The wise and prudent thing to do would be just vote no if you don't have time to read the bill. How do you think it makes sensible people feel to constantly hear that our representatives don't read the bills they are voting on. I have never seen such a collection of thieves and liars in my life as those currently residing in Congress. Our government reminds me of a banana republic. The Republicans do nothing but whine and make excuses and the democrats just shove it down our throats whether we want it or not. And obamas takeover of the country is not much different than a military coup without the military. Our country has been torn apart ever since 911 because it seems the politicians can't resist taking advantage of a crisis to advance their own agenda. America is in crisis and no one is doing anything about it. You are the only one who it seems that has any backbone. Obama and the democrats must be stopped in their tracks, and now. Don't be bargaining with them on any issue. The "cap and trade" is the most destructive force facing this country since Pearl Harbor. If it and the health scam get passed we will be more socialist than Germany and many other European countries sitting just beneath France. What a despicable and outrageous possibility. Keep up the fight and stop this takeover of the America that I have loved and lived in for 66 years. Except for you I will probably vote every incumbent out of office this next election. I am an Independent and wouldn't call myself either one of the current two parties we have now. They have both gone to hell.