Collins Blames Senate for Stalling on House Bills

U.S. Representative Doug Collins says the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate is holding up House bills that would help spur the economy and provide jobs.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Lavonia just before the Labor Holiday weekend last week,  Collins said of the 511 passed by the House the Senate has passed 232.

As an example, Collins cited a bi-partisan bill passed in the house that would protect Israel’s right to defend itself, called the Israeli Qualitative Military Edge Bill.

“We were looking at what we could do about this military situation in Israel,” he said. ” We were looking at how Israel could have a qualitative military edge because it will never have a quantitative military edge. This bill passed in the House by a vote of 399-0.” 

However, Collins said it was a different story for the bill when it was sent to the Senate.

“That’s pretty bi-partisan. Every Republican, every Democrat in the House passed it,” Collins said. “Guess where it went and died? The Senate. They haven’t even taken the bill up. The House has passed 511 bills, the Senate 232. President Obama has signed 108 (bills) from the House. He signed 37 (bills) from the Senate.”

Collins said with regard to Appropriations bills, the House has passed seven and the Senate has passed zero.

“They  haven’t even taken them up,” he said.

Collins said the House and Senate have to do a better job of working together to achieve common goals.

“There’s a lot of things that we can do. There’s a lot of t hings that we’re just stuck on.  But in the process of it, we’ve got to get back to Congress being Congress; passing bills, working it out.  Right now, we’re not there because we don’t have a willing participant in the Senate,” he said.

After briefing those in attendance on issues on  Capitol  Hill, Collins then took time to answer questions on everything from Veterans Affairs to proposed changes in FCC rules.