A Moral Compass to Govern

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As the Democratic Leader of the Senate, I wanted to build a greater relationship with the faith community and have met religious leaders of all faiths and denominations. During these meetings many religious leaders expressed concern that our leadership seems unfocused and unfazed by the needs of our brothers and sisters. Their concerns were highlighted when hundreds of religious leaders from across the nation, some Democrats and some Republicans, came to Washington in peaceful protest. While protesting in the Capitol and Congressional office buildings they prayed that legislators would reject what they described as an immoral budget that would deprive so many through deep cuts in health care, education, and housing, in order to pay for tax cuts that benefit so few.

Unfortunately, we will likely see another immoral budget, since last night the President called for making last year's tax cuts permanent. The same tax cuts that benefit the privileged few while the needs of the many are sacrificed.

It is also immoral when decisions that should enhance the lives of everyone are made with distorted priorities that too often put aside sound policy for partisan gain and self interest. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the storm altered the lives of Americans, not just Democrats or Republicans. Yet, in that time of crisis, we discovered that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the agency charged with handling the federal response to disasters, was headed by someone without a background in public safety. Instead, the organization was headed by a strong partisan supporter of the President whose previous experience was running a horse farm.

This is what happens when lawmakers abandon values like responsibility and accountability, and embrace vices like greed and arrogance instead.

In Washington, too often the partisan ambitions of a few stand in the way of common good. Our moral compass should compel us to always put people first. To directly confront this problem, Democrats introduced the Honest Leadership Act, legislation that will put common interests ahead of special interests and return morality and integrity to the way we govern.

Today and throughout the year, Democrats will work with the President and our colleagues across the aisle to address issues important to all the American people. We are called upon and redeemed by working together for the common good, not for a special few.

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