CongressDays.2

Here's what happened on Congress Day 2, Friday 12 Feb 2010
See the Vote Results page for the tallies and results of all the following legislative discussions.

2. Voted on the passage of the 1947 National Security Act, which did the following:

 * Created a Department of Defense
 * Created the Joint Chiefs of Staff
 * Separated the Air Force into its own branch
 * Created a Cabinet-level National Security Council
 * Created the Central Intelligence Agency

Section 01:
Foreign Affairs proposed the US join NATO Judiciary proposed restitution for interned Japanese Americans Energy and Commerce proposed the National Defense Highway Act Armed Services proposed the desegregation of the armed forces Energy and Commerce proposed a National Health Care program
 * Appropriations Committee supported this, giving priority to defense spending and spending for foreign aid
 * Judiciary argued this would not be a waste of money, but also was hesitant for the US to admit wrongdoing because this was one of many cases of injustice against an entire group of people.
 * There was considerable discussion about whether the question of reparations for slavery was relevant to this decision, and whether such reparations for internment might set an expensive precedent
 * Debate turned to whether some kind of apology was sufficient and whether it was more in line with American ideals to show to the world that the US could achieve internal reconciliation or if such an admission of wrongdoing made the US, an emerging world power, look weak
 * The final proposal was the the US would not appropriate any funding for reparations but would offer a formal recognition of suffering and an apology
 * E&C argued that this would assist with military transport, civil defense, domestic security, and family bonding through road travel
 * Appropriations Committee supported the proposal
 * It was also noted that the federal spending in this infrastructure improvement would provide jobs to returning veterans
 * Since external threats needed higher priority, military unity was necessary
 * Discussion focused on whether this would ease entrance requirements for foreign-born soldiers
 * the proposal was amended to emphasize that all soldiers would receive stringent background checks, regardless of race
 * they proposed legislation to mandate (or provide? - it wasn't clear) affordable health care for all
 * In debate, concerns were raised about whether veterans should get health care through Veterans Administration or through their new employers.
 * Appropriations argued that big pharmaceuticals were a major funder of health care entitlements, and that this proposal risked them withdrawing their donations (*the accuracy of this assertion should be checked)
 * Debate then turned to whether such a proposal should best be funded from a general flat percentage rate tax, or a graduated tax falling harder on the wealthy (which some argued would stifle the economy and penalize individual success).
 * A motion was made to investigate supporters of nationalized health care as Communists

Section 06:
Judiciary proposed symbolic restitution for interned Japanese Americans Armed Services proposed moderate military demobilization and retaining a limited draft Agriculture proposed greater farm regulation and marketing quotas to deal with agricultural surplus, and the expansion of overseas exports of American farm goods. Education and Labor proposed a GI Bill to provide education and job training for returning veterans
 * a "symbolic only" action would allocate little or no federal money, perhaps creating a public fund, while recognizing past wrongs against interned Americans
 * there was concern about setting a precedent for reparation claims by other mistreated groups from the American past
 * Noted the rocky progress of demobilization, including riots
 * Argued that keeping an eye to global hotspots would mean retaining some of our military personnel and not decommissioning them all
 * Agriculture committee forcefully argued that this would reduce waste, as American farms produced far more than American consumers could purchase. Further, this could strengthen ties with our overseas allied nations.
 * Some questioned the value of burdensome federal regulation of private farmers
 * Appropriations thought that regulation of agricultural output would be a cheaper solution than the costly transporting of American food products overseas, and supported cutting subsidies to farmers
 * Ed&Labor argued this would raise the general standard of learning to "outsmart the common enemy"

Section 01:
Each committee briefed the Congress on their main issues, and offered a policy recommendation. Those included containment of Communism (Foreign Affairs), no unemployment insurance (Education & Labor), no new taxes and a goal of a balanced budget (Appropriations), support of suburbs to create a more stable society (Homeland Security), continued surveillance of Soviet space activity (Intelligence), and expansion of Social Security (Energy & Commerce)

Section 06:
Judiciary proposed new federal legislation to compel states to implement the //Brown v. Board of Education// decision with "all deliberate speed" Armed Services proposed an official Congressional condemnation or censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy
 * Noted that Southern states are foot-dragging and creating intentional delays of justice
 * Armed Services felt McCarthy's attacks against the Army were a "travesty," unjustified, and lacked viable proof. They would not oppose greater scrutiny or investigation of possible Communism within the armed forces, if such evidence were brought using a legal and transparent process. The Committee offered a long list of McCarthy's tactics.
 * Some argued that the American public saw McCarthy as an American patriot and that they might not want Congress to "throw him under the bus" in this fashion.
 * Armed Services noted the high ratings and public approval for Edward R. Murrow's television program condemning McCarthy with clips from his own speeches