Comedians have made numerous jokes about how government employees routinely shred documents. Usually the shredding occurs when these officials want to cover illegal or unethical activities. However, this week Congress proposed perhaps the greatest act of shredding ever attempted by the government, the shredding of the Constitution and the very foundation of our republic.
For many weeks now, for some of us it seems like years, Congress has been debating reform of the nation’s healthcare system. Since healthcare reform was the crown jewel of President Obama’s campaign for President, the Executive Branch has been putting pressure on the Congress to pass a bill but the proposed changes are extremely unpopular with the electorate. Fearing they will not be re-elected, members of Congress are hesitant to vote for the proposal and debate lingers on.
The Constitution clearly spells out the legislative process.
Article 1 - The Legislative Branch
Section 7 - Revenue Bills, Legislative Process, Presidential Veto
All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.
(U.S. Constitution Online)
According to Mark Tapscott at The Examiner, Louise Slaughter, Chairperson of the House Roles Committee is proposing a rule change that would actually ramrod the Senate version of the healthcare bill to the President’s desk for signature without an actual recorded vote in the House (Tapscott, 2010). Her rule claims that a House vote on changes to the Senate bill constitutes an essential vote on the entire bill. This is a blatant violation of the constitutional legislative process and not only shreds the constitution, but also threatens the very foundation of our representative republic.
I urge all who read this to contact their congressperson and remind them of the clearly spelled out constitutional legislative process. Remind them that should they persist in this process, they will definitely be removed from office in the next election and replaced with individuals committed to following the legislative process. The House needs to have a vote on the Senate bill and end this fiasco once and for all.
On the right side of this webpage is a link to finding your congressperson. I urge you to find your congresspersons email or fax and send them Article 1 Section 7 of the constitution to remind them of the legislative process they swore to abide by when they were sworn in. You can cut and past it from this text and send it in your email. It is time for us the American People to stand up and remind our elected officials that we know the rules, that they are breaking them, and that we will not tolerate rule breakers in our Congress.
References
Tapscott, M. (2010, March 12). House Democrats looking at "Slaughter Solution" to pass Obamacare without a vote on the Senate bill. The Examiner, , . Retrieved March 12, 2010, http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=House+Democrats+looking+at+"slaughter+Solution"+to+pass+Obamacare+without+vote+on+Senate+bill.html
U.S. Constitution Online (). U.S. Constitution article 1 section 7. Retrieved March 12, 2010, http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec7.html
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