CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
Sept. 7, 2011 – 8:03 p.m.
Some Republicans Opt to Skip Joint Session
By David Harrison, CQ Staff
The partisan sniping around President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress did not end with last week’s scheduling fight.
The political jousting resumed Wednesday on the eve of the jobs speech as some Republicans dismissed the president’s appearance as a campaign exercise, and some Democrats decried the GOP’s decision to forgo a formal rebuttal.
Although the administration says the speech is meant to give the president a prominent venue to outline a vital strategy to boost the economy and create jobs, a handful of Republican lawmakers have said they will not attend the session or remain undecided about their plans for Thursday evening.
Republican leaders passed on their opportunity to offer an official, televised rebuttal to Obama because, according to Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker
The decision seemed to infuriate Minority Leader
Missouri Democratic Rep.
The back-and-forth over Obama’s speech offers the latest evidence that partisan disputes over procedures and perceived slights will continue to be a feature of the 112th Congress, despite assurances from leaders in both parties that they have taken to heart their constituents’ pleas to work together for the good of the country.
House Majority Leader
White House spokesman Jay Carney dismissed talk about absent lawmakers and rebuttals as “sideshows.”
But some Republicans said they had made other plans or were not certain the joint session would be a compelling event.
South Carolina Sen.
Georgia Rep.
Republican
Some Republicans Opt to Skip Joint Session
The Republican senators announced their plans to be elsewhere before Majority Leader