Bloomberg Tackles Poverty: Will his plan work? June/July 2007 Volume 41, No. 3 The Search for Common Ground Howard Baker leads Plus: a bipartisan effort to Bob Michel break the political writes about logjam in Washington Congressional gridlock www.riponsociety.org $4.95 U.S./$5.95 Canada AmerisourceBergen is a proud supporter of the Ripon Society www.amerisourcebergen.com “Ideas that matter, since 1965.“ AmerisourceBergen Volume 41, No. 3, June/July 2007 Sections Politics & Perspective (cont’d.) 3 A Note from 13 Finding Consensus on an International the Chairman Emeritus Counter-Narcotics Strategy By Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 28 Ripon Profile According to the Ranking Republican of the Governor M. Jodi Rell House Foreign Affairs Committee, politics is a proud supporter is standing in the way of a plan to stem the flow of drugs into America. Cover Story 15 The AMT: Not Such a Minimal Tax 4 The Search By John W. Diamond for Common Ground The Alternative Minimum Tax is affecting Q&A with Howard Baker more and more moderate income taxpayers. The former Tennessee Senator discusses The solution does not lie in raising taxes on of the Ripon Society a bipartisan effort he is leading to break others, but rather in broader reform of the the political logjam and forge a consensus tax code itself. on some of the key challenges facing our Nation. 18 The Road to Immigration Reform By Demetrios Papademetriou 7 The Truth About Congress is on the verge of reforming an Congressional Gridlock immigration system that is 40 years old. By Bob Michel An assessment of the legislation, from He spent 40 years in Congress. Now, the the politics of the measure to what it will former House Republican Leader writes achieve. the institution is suffering from neglect and proposes some reforms that, he says, 21 Hoping for a Medicare Miracle are long overdue. By Matt Moore This year’s Medicare Trustees’ Report once again found the system in trouble. Because Politics & Perspective of a new law, however, the President now has to do something about it. 9 The Making of the President’s Health Care Plan 2008 23 Making Government Work By Tom Miller By David Walker Recent calls for universal health coverage In an excerpt from a speech delivered this remind some of similar proposals made past April, America’s Comptroller General during the 1992 presidential campaign. But discusses the need to transform the federal differences exist in today’s debate, and the bureaucracy so it better meets the demands chances for sweeping reform are slim. of 21st century life. 11 Bloomberg Tackles Poverty 27 Form Follows Function By Reid Cramer By Billy Pitts and Lou Zickar The Mayor of New York establishes a Senator Joe Lieberman’s decision to change public-private partnership to help his city’s the seating chart on his Committee drew less fortunate. His plan is bipartisan and chuckles. But it also served a purpose. innovative. But will it work? Cover illustration by Deb Hoeffner Publisher Editor The Ripon Society Louis M. Zickar One Year Subscription: Comments, opinion editorials and letters should be addressed to: The Ripon Forum, President Associate Editor $35.00 individuals 1300 L Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, Richard S. Kessler Molly J. Milliken $10.00 students DC 20005 or may be transmitted electronically to: [email protected]. The Ripon Forum (ISSN 0035-5526) is Chief Administrative Officer published bi-monthly by The Ripon Society. George McNeill The Ripon Society is located at 1300 L Street, In publishing this magazine, the Ripon Society NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005. Editorial Board seeks to provide a forum for fresh ideas, William Frenzel © Copyright 2007 Postmaster, send address changes to: well-researched proposals, and for a spirit of criticism, innovation, and independent William Meub By The Ripon Society The Ripon Forum, 1300 L Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005. thinking within the Republican Party. www.amerisourcebergen.com Billy Pitts All Rights Reserved RIPON FORUM June/July 2007 1 45 Years of Public Policy Founded 1962 1300 L Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 216-1008 www.riponsociety.org THE RIPON SOCIETY HONORARY CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Senator Chuck Hagel (NE) Senate Chairman Senator Richard Burr (NC) Senator Norm Coleman (MN) Senator Susan M. Collins (ME) A Note from Senator Judd Gregg (NH) Senator Orrin G. Hatch (UT) the Chairman Emeritus Senator Pat Roberts (KS) Senator Gordon Smith (OR) Two hundred and twenty years ago this summer, fifty five Senator Olympia J. Snowe (ME) delegates from America’s thirteen states locked themselves in a room in Senator Arlen Specter (PA) Philadelphia to hammer out a new Constitution for our Nation. Senator Ted Stevens (AK) Four months later, in September, they emerged with an Representative Judy Biggert (IL) agreement. No one had been allowed inside the room during their Representative Roy Blunt (MO) deliberations. James Madison took notes; others shared their thoughts Representative Ken Calvert (CA) through correspondence. A transcript of the proceedings, however, does Representative Dave Camp (MI) not exist. Representative Eric I. Cantor (VA) But it’s safe to assume the debate wasn’t pretty. Egos were Representative Michael Castle (DE) involved. Fortunes were involved. Political futures were at stake. Yet Representative Howard Coble (NC) somehow, the delegates managed to put aside their differences and reach Representative Ander Crenshaw (FL) consensus on a framework for government that was revolutionary for its Representative Thomas M. Davis III (VA) time. Representative Vernon Ehlers (MI) Today, that same governing framework still exists. But Representative Jo Ann H. Emerson (MO) reaching that type of political consensus seems to be a thing of the past. Representative Philip S. English (PA) Clearly, there are exceptions. But increasingly, partisanship has become Representative Mike Ferguson (NJ) the coin of the realm in our Nation’s capital, and distrust between the Representative Vito Fossella (NY) parties abounds. Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) In this edition of the FORUM, we look at some of the reasons for Representative Paul E. Gillmor (OH) that, and some of the solutions being pursued. We gear our coverage of Representative Kay Granger (TX) this topic around two of the most widely respected former legislators in Representative Robin Hayes (NC) Washington – former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker and former Representative David Hobson (OH) House Republican Leader Bob Michel. Representative Ray H. LaHood (IL) In a Q&A, Senator Baker talks about a bipartisan effort he is Representative Steven LaTourette (OH) helping lead to find common ground on some of the key issues facing Representative Jerry Lewis (CA) our country. In an essay that follows, Leader Michel discusses gridlock Representative Jim McCrery (LA) in Congress and some ideas he has to reform the institution. Representative Thomas E. Petri (WI) This edition of the FORUM also looks at some other topics Representative Deborah Pryce (OH) that are making news or will be making news in the coming months, Representative Adam Putnam (FL) including the debate over health care on the presidential campaign trail Representative Jim Ramstad (MN) and the Bloomberg plan to fight poverty in New York. Representative Ralph Regula (OH) As with all editions of our journal, we hope you enjoy what you Representative Christopher Shays (CT) read, and hope you will not hesitate to write us at editor@riponsociety. Representative Fred Upton (MI) org with any comments you may have. Representative James T. Walsh (NY) Representative Edward Whitfield (KY) Bill Frenzel Chairman Emeritus Ripon Society The Ripon Society is a research and policy organization located in Washington, D.C. There are National Associate members throughout the United States. RIPON FORUM June/July 2007 3 Cover Story The Search for Common Ground A Q&A with Howard Baker Howard H. Baker, Jr. served three terms as year the establishment of The Bipartisan Policy a United States Senator from Tennessee (1967- Center (BPC), a new organization whose sole 1985) and was Tennessee’s first popularly elected purpose is to find common ground between the Republican Senator. parties on some of the most pressing challenges Senator Baker gained national recognition in facing our country. 1973 as Vice Chairman of the Senate Watergate The Forum recently asked Senator Baker Committee. Three years later, he was keynote about the BPC, why it was established, and what speaker at the Republican National Convention and he hopes it will accomplish. was a 1980 candidate for the Republican RF: What is the p r e s i d e n t i a l purpose of the Bipartisan nomination. Policy Center? He concluded his HB: Too often, Senate career in 1985 partisanship poisons after two terms as our national dialogue. Majority Leader (1981 Unfortunately, respectful to 1985) and two terms discourse across party lines as Minority Leader has become the exception (1977 to 1981). He was - not the norm. To confront President Reagan’s this challenge, the Bipartisan Chief of Staff from Policy Center was formed February 1987 to July to develop and promote 1988. From 2001 – 2005, solutions that would attract he served as America’s the public support and 26th Ambassador to political momentum to Japan. achieve real progress. The Over the course BPC acts as an incubator of his long and for policy efforts that distinguished career, engage top political figures, Senator Baker’s advocates, academics and reputation for business leaders in the art straight-talk, candor of principled compromise. and honesty not In addition to advancing only earned him the specific proposals, the respect of his colleagues in Washington, but the BPC also is broadcasting a different type of policy admiration of the American people and countless discourse that seeks to unite the constructive center in others around the world.