Transatlantic Dialogue Transatlantic Dialogue

Transatlantic dialogue Transatlantic dialogue

WASHINGTON DC Where has all the goodwill gone?

By Holly Fechner lofty agenda was not clear until American people were months later. scared and angry about Barack Obama rocketed to the Major victories followed the economy. Polls show US presidency on the promise in quick succession in the that the focus on healthcare and of ‘change’ and he assumed fi rst six months of the new the lack of attention on jobs offi ce with signifi cant Democrat administration: fair pay turned voters, particularly those majorities in Congress. legislation to make it easier independent voters not affi liated His party won almost 60 per to sue employers, healthcare with a political party, against the cent of the seats in the House of coverage for millions of children, Democrats. Representatives. With 58 seats a bill to allow the Food & Drug And on 19 January – just in the Senate, the Democrats Administration to regulate as the President and Congress were just two votes shy of tobacco, legislation creating had resolved one of the defeating Republican fi libusters enhanced penalties for hate stickiest issues delaying fi nal – a powerful procedural tool of crimes based on race, national While passage of the healthcare bill the Senate minority party. The origin and gender. – a special election was held in conditions were ripe for the In April, Senator Arlen Specter Congress and Massachusetts to fi ll the seat of President to champion major switched parties, and in late the President Senator Kennedy, who died last legislative changes. June Al Franken was sworn in as were enmeshed August. In a stunning upset that The President’s agenda was senator from Minnesota, after in healthcare reverberated across the country, robust: revive the US economy, a highly-contested election and Republican Scott Brown defeated pass comprehensive healthcare recount, to give President Obama legislation, the Democrat Martha Coakley, legislation, raise the standing his 60th vote. The President‘s mood of the thereby denying the latter’s party of the country around the clear legislative priority was country began the 60th Senate vote it needed world, pass legislation to reduce reforming the US healthcare to pass a fi nal healthcare bill and greenhouse gases and spur the system. He advocated a series to turn send it to the President. growth of clean energy, and re- of measures to lower healthcare regulate fi nancial institutions. costs and cover a signifi cant In limbo He also promised to change portion of the 47 million As a result, President Obama’s how business is conducted in Americans without healthcare legislative priority remains in Washington by working across coverage. Many Democratic limbo. He and key members of party lines and minimising the members of Congress, including Congress say they will pare back role of special interests and one of the President’s strongest the comprehensive bill and pass lobbyists in policymaking. and most infl uential supporters, parts of it in piecemeal fashion, At the beginning of 2009, Senator Edward Kennedy, but it is too soon to know many economists thought championed this goal. whether they will succeed. the US was on the brink of an The remainder of the economic downturn that could Mood change President’s domestic agenda has rival the 1930s Great Depression. Congress responded by devoting not fared much better. Although The economy had been in a months to hearings and debate the House of Representatives tailspin under President George on healthcare legislation. narrowly passed cap-and-trade W Bush, but the full effects were The House of Representatives climate change legislation last not clear until just before Mr narrowly passed a comprehensive June, the Senate is unlikely Obama was sworn in. bill last November and the Senate to vote on a bill before the Each US president takes offi ce answered with the Christmas Eve 2010 election. Re-regulation of with a signifi cant amount of passage of its own bill. Since then, fi nancial institutions is bogged political capital to spend on the President and leaders of both down in committee and has high priority issues. Mr Obama bodies of Congress worked hard not been voted on by either the was forced by circumstance to at reconciling the differences. House or Senate. spend his capital on passing While Congress and the By historical standards, a large economic stimulus President were enmeshed in President Obama has a long list bill – the American Recovery healthcare legislation, the mood of accomplishments, but by the and Reinvestment Act – and of the country began to turn. Last standards that he set for himself, additional legislation to stabilise November, the Democrats lost he falls short after one year in fi nancial institutions. These bills two critical governorship races offi ce. were passed with lightening in Virginia and New Jersey. With speed, but the toll they took unemployment hovering above Holly Fechner is of counsel at the on the President’s ability to 10 per cent and budget defi cits Washington DC offi ce of global law move the remainder of his as far as the eye can see, the fi rm Covington & Burling

www.europeanlawyer.co.uk The European Lawyer February 2010 9

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