Congress culpable too

I read Michael Madden’s response (CR, Oct. 16) to my letter, which stated that I was incorrect when I said Congress “prepares the budget.” Let’s look at the recent so-called “bail out” bill that the President sent to Congress which was three pages long and rejected by Congress. However, when a 400-plus page bill designed to do the same thing was presented back to the president for his signature, it contained millions of dollars of entitlements which can be translated very loosely as “payoffs, bribes, etc.” for Congress to pass the bill. Now I ask a simple question, “who really prepares the budget?”

If we had enough pro-life/pro-family legislators in the federal system that would not approve federal bills like the Freedom of Choice Act, then we may just have three-page bills instead of 400 pages of “pork” that provides money to build bridges that go nowhere.

However, I know Mr. Madden and I are on the same page when he reiterates the bishops’ instruction that the basis of all pro-life/pro-family legislation and presidential action is based on their position on the most basic right to life guaranteed in our Constitution and Bill of Rights – the rights of the unborn and those who are the most vulnerable in our society.

We are two years away from our next congressional and state elections in 2010. I think it is time for the “sleeping giant to wake up and roar.”