Bush, House GOPers tout accomplishments, criticize Senate

Buoyed by a pep talk from President Bush, House Republicans today touted their accomplishments for the year while needling Senate Democrats for failing to act many on their priorities, most notably an economic stimulus package.

House Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts of Oklahoma said Republicans have exhausted efforts to reach a compromise on stimulus and said he is not optimistic that Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., will allow a vote on the GOP alternative that the House is expected to approve later today.

"I don't know what more we can do," Watts said. "I have no expectation--disappointment that Senator Daschle is going to move that one."

Watts spoke at a news conference with 10 House committee chairmen to highlight each panel's achievements for the the year.

"We paid down the debt $90 billion, the second largest pay-down … ever," Budget Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, said. Education and the Workforce Chairman John Boehner, R-Ohio, cited the education reauthorization bill that revamps the federal role in education.

"The federal government will be focused on the neediest children in the poorest schools," Boehner said.

Absent were Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas, R-Calif., who moved tax cuts and trade negotiating authority through the House, and Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., who is completing the last of the 13 spending bills.

Watts later quipped that the "major, major accomplishment" was the relative brevity of the news conference: "Ten committee chairman and the conference chairman in less than 27 minutes."

In a 10-minute speech closed to press coverage, Bush told the House Republican Conference this morning that he was focused on winning the war on terrorism and re-electing House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and a GOP majority, according to several GOP members.

"No. 1 is fighting the war. And my No. 2 is keeping the majority," one lawmaker recounted Bush as saying.

Bush also congratulated House Republicans for moving key items of his domestic agenda, including tax cuts and education, in addition to passing spending bills, energy and faith-based legislation through the House.

"It would be as inspirational as Lee Greenwood [singing], `Proud to be an American' but without the sap," Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said of the Bush speech.