It was bound to happen. As a senator, Barack Obama was a member of a legislative chamber that moves at the speed of glaciers. Now, as president-elect, he’s finding out what it’s like to ask Congress to do something quickly.
Just a few weeks ago, members of Obama’s team were talking openly about how nice it would be if Congress passed the stimulus bill in time for Obama to sign it on inauguration day. That talk didn’t last long, though, as Republican leaders noted that they might like to read the bill first, maybe even debate it.
Even Democratic leaders soon acknowledged that a Jan. 20 signing was probably a bit too much to hope for. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for one, refused to commit to a deadline. And, of course, Obama himself has been promising an open and transparent process, which is hard to pull off if you’re trying to rush something through.
So on Monday, Obama decided early February would be okay. “There are only so many days in the legislative process, and it’s going to take some time, even on an expedited schedule, to get a bill passed and on my desk,” he said after a meeting with his economic advisers. “But we anticipate that by the end of January or the first week in February we have gotten the bulk of this done.”
And in today’s speech making the case for his economic plan, Obama didn’t suggest a firm deadline. “We should have an open and honest discussion about this recovery plan in the days ahead,” he said, “but I urge Congress to move as quickly as possible on behalf of the American people.”
But he did throw in a line that might chill senators who are used to working three-day weeks: he challenged Congress to “work with me and my team day and night, on weekends if necessary, to get the plan passed in the next few weeks.”
Presidents always want Congress to give them what they want and do it fast, of course. And Obama isn’t likely to get any argument about the urgency of the economic crisis or the dire consequences of not acting quickly.
But as he prepares to gain a new perspective on his old colleagues in the Senate — a body that is designed to act slowly and thoughtfully — from the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, he must be going through some serious culture shock.
— David Nather
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