Second Term Blues: Bush Policies at Odds in Congress

Although Republicans are the majority in both houses of Congress, President Bush is having trouble implementing many of his policy initiatives, including reforms for education programs such as Head Start and No Child Left Behind.

Many Republican lawmakers are wary of such controversial legislation since they face reelection in 2006; in addition, history shows that during a president’s second term, party members tend to show more independence.

Republicans wary of education changes

House Republicans rebuffed a White House proposal for states to take over local Head Start centers, which are federally funded at present. Head Start aids low-income children in healthy child development and school readiness by providing education; medical, dental and mental health services; nutrition information, and parent education.

President Bush wants to increase state control since states already play a vital role in preschool programs. The administration’s argument is that states could better align Head Start programs with elementary school curricula.

But the plan met fierce opposition from Democrats and members of the National Head Start Association, who argue that the Bush proposal would transform the program into a block grant and that states would be less likely to enforce stringent standards. When key Republican Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Pat Roberts of Kansas publicly protested the measure, Head Start lobbyists gained even more momentum.

On May 18, 2005, the House Education and Workforce Committee approved, 48-0, a Head Start reauthorization bill that did not include President Bush’s plan.

Bush proposal left behind

President Bush also hopes to expand No Child Left Behind Act, the 2002 education law that provides federal funding in exchange for higher test scores in primary schools. Both Democrats and Republicans have complained about the program; Democrats say that the administration has not provided sufficient funding, while many Republicans worry that the law encroaches on states’ rights to administer education.

The White House would like to see No Child Left Behind testing requirements in high schools as well, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle disagree, saying that the program should be properly implemented at the lower grades first.

Other issues in the way

The Bush agenda has been derailed in other ways as well. The Terry Schiavo case and the fight over the judiciary have slowed Bush administration proposals in Congress, and the War in Iraq has eroded the President’s job approval rating to 42 percent, according to a poll by The New York Times and CBS News.

President Bush’s approval rating affects his relationship with Congress. A high approval rating would give Republican lawmakers confidence in their implementation of White House policies and would cause Democrats to be cautious in their opposition.

Republican analysts say that President Bush is trying to get back on track, to reestablish his influence over legislation. But historians say that this is unlikely, since presidents tend to struggle with domestic policies in their second terms. And now lawmakers, who are no longer worried about the President’s reelection but are very concerned with their own, aren’t willing to back controversial policies like Social Security reform.

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Posted on: 6/23/2005