Lopez on Democratic-controlled Congress
The greatest mistake of the Democrat Party has been its craven pursuit of political advantage at the expense of greater benefits to the country. Briefly, its obstructive tactics while opposing our progress in Iraq and its blocking of reasonable electronic eavesdropping by NSA on our enemies operating on foreign soil is shameless. A specific example of their indifference to progress under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi relates to us here in the Valley. Determined to stymie the conclusion of a free-trade agreement with our ally and southern neighbor Columbia, Pelosi deliberately sidetracked action on the legislation although it would have directly given a trade advantage to our Valley farmers and to California in general. Her action was taken in deference to union bosses and against our advantage. My opponent in the general election, Jim Costa, despite his claims of supporting our agriculture, followed Pelosi's misguided lead on this issue as he has on many others, to the detriment of the Valley.
The only important legislative accomplishment of the Democrat-controlled Congress has been passage of a minimum-wage law.
That kind of legislation works against the best interests of the poor and disadvantaged because while it may pay a little more to a few it reduces the number of entry-level, low-pay jobs so needed by those it is supposed to benefit.