The do-nothing congress finally did one thing. Doesn't mean they still don't suck

With the year in Congress entering its final days, the House of Representatives last night passed a budget deal easing the sequester, and the Senate is expected to pass it next week. This is already being widely hailed as a truce in the sabotage governing wars and a return to some semblance of normalcy, however modest.

But if there’s one fact that continues to sum up this Congress, it’s this. Lawmakers remain far more likely to vote on a political, counter-productive measure on Iran than to vote on extending unemployment benefits for over one million Americans. And let’s not even talk about whether Congress will vote on any serious proposals to boost economic growth and create jobs amid a still sluggish recovery.
— Greg Sargent, pointing out that congress still sucks.

Look at it this way, this congress just passed a forgettable horsetrading bill that accomplishes nothing much other than avoiding a budget debate for a couple of years — and the media and punditry are acting like they’ve just passed the Civil Rights Act or something.

Why? Because this pile of nothing is among the 113th congress’ crowning achievements. This is being heralded as a tremendously important moment in modern history because the bar is just that low.

Coming sequester frees ‘waves’ of undocumented detainees

File under “Things that will make wingnut’s heads explode.”

McClatchy Newspapers:

The federal government released groups of illegal immigrants from custody across the country Monday at the same time the White House was making its case that impending budget cuts would harm efforts to protect the border and enforce federal immigration laws.

Advocates reported “waves” of illegal immigrants being released from at least three detention centers in Texas, Florida and Louisiana.

U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement confirmed the release of some illegal immigrants Monday night but would not say how many or from which detention centers.

“In order to make the best use of our limited detention resources in the current fiscal climate and to manage our detention population under current congressionally mandated levels, ICE has directed field offices to review the detained population to ensure it is in line with available funding,” said ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen. “As a result of this review, a number of detained aliens have been released around the country and placed on an appropriate, more cost-effective form of supervised release.”

Christensen said ICE is continuing to prosecute their cases in immigration court and will seek their removal from the country.

“We’re getting reports from multiple detention centers in Texas, Florida and New Orleans where detainees who are low priority are being released in mass without bond,” said Domenic Powell of National Immigrant Youth Alliance, an immigration advocacy group. So any coming “FOREIGN GANG MEMBERS BEING SET LOOSE ON UNSUSPECTING PUBLIC!!” stories coming from the right — and they will come — are racist bullshit. These are low priority detainees, which likely means their only crime is being employed in the US illegally.

But this is the problem with the right’s focus on spending — they seem to believe that there’s a whole raft of programs and policies they take for granted that come absolutely free. It costs money for the government to do things, people. It doesn’t all run on sweet dreams and birthday wishes. It needs revenue or things like this have to happen. It’s just math.

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