Democrats in House Catch Populist Fever

Despite conventional wisdom suggesting Congress would be in a holding pattern until November, a new surge of energy behind Democratic domestic spending bills is poised to deliver populist promise this summer. An airline passenger bill of rights—an “unapologetic attempt to position lawmakers on the side of harried travelers,” writes David Rogers in Politico—is just the tip of the budgetary iceberg.

A round of White House veto threats is sure to come as the House aims to add money to deport criminal illegals, improve veterans’ medical care, beef up science spending, and deliver money to states to encourage pooled health planning. Prospects in the Senate are less certain, but Democrats feel they have momentum and could add nearly $27 billion in domestic spending to Bush’s budget. (More Congress stories.)