House GOP passes 'force of law' spending bill mocked by Dems

[TacticalPeek]

Source: The Hill


House GOP passes 'force of law' spending bill mocked by Dems
By Pete Kasperowicz - 04/01/11 02:55 PM ET

The House narrowly passed legislation on Friday that calls for a House-passed FY 2011 spending bill to become law should the Senate fail to approve a spending bill by April 6. It would also prevent members of Congress from being paid during a government shutdown.

The bill, H.R. 1255, was approved over bitter Democratic opposition in a 221-202 vote in which no Democrats supported it, and 15 Republicans opposed it.

Several Democrats argued that the measure is unconstitutional, charging that it would "deem" that the 2011 spending bill, H.R. 1, has the force of law if the Senate fails to act. Some Democrats seized on the floor comments from Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who broke with his party and said on the floor that this aspect of the bill "violates my conscious and the Constitution, and I cannot vote for it."



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/153355-house-gop-approves-budget-bill-ignores-dem-constitutional-arguments

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Global thermonuclear war.

[The Magistrate]

1. Damn, Sir: Too Crazed For Gohmert Is Just Too Crazy...

[TheWraith]

6. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Hell, Dick Cheney is pro-gay-marriage. It's as hard to find someone who's wrong about every issue as it is to find someone who's right about everything.

But the Republicans certainly try their best to fulfill the first niche.

[DJ13]

2. So those Einsteins passed a bill that needs Senate passage

that says if the same Senate doesnt pass a budget bill that bill supersedes the Senate?

Who's on first?

[TheWraith]

5. They believe that government works the way they say it does.

That's pretty much the basis of the entire Tea Party: I believe the government works this way, therefore it does. And the constitution says what I think it says, even if it doesn't.

[freshwest]

16. They all attended the same school as Christine O'Donnell. Enough said.

[TheWraith]

18. I don't think all the Tea Partiers would fit in her parents' basement. nt

[freshwest]

19. I thought she went to Liberty University or some other conservative madrassa.

[TheWraith]

42. Eh, same difference.

Actually, spending all that time in her parents' basement would probably have left her more intelligent and with better critical thinking skills.

[onenote]

37. Exactly. Although their motives are pretty clear:

If a shutdown occurs, they want to run ads saying that the Democrats opposed the "Government Shutdown Prevention Act." In other words, its just a stunt.

[Downwinder]

3. Will they qualify for unemployment compensation?

Temporary employees. In their home states or D.C.? D.C. will be shutdown.

[savalez]

4. Let me get this straight...

"If you fail to pass this bill this bill is passed."

Got it.

:eyes:

[onenote]

38. Not exactly

More like, "if you pass this bill, then another bill that you didn't pass is passed."

[freshwest]

40. GOP always like to have it both ways, don't you know that by now?

Laughing along with you at these guys:

:rofl:

[Grins]

7. Lemmee get this straight...

These are the same guys that bitched-a-shit over Democrats using Saint Reagan's Reconciliation procedure to pass Health Care Reform, who later read the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House on day one of the new session, and now they pull a "'cuz we said so" on the Constitution and the rules of the Senate? Did I get that right?

[roguevalley]

36. yup. Aren't they the shit? Lawrence O'Donnell called their

legislative guys and they had no idea that that wasn't removed. But he said if they had there would have been no bill to pass. Its the only thing in there. Eric Cantor is the genius behind this and I think Boehner let him hang. Eric is waiting for Bonehead to fuck up so he can take the job. Think Ceasar and Brutus. Et tu, Eric?

[AndyTiedye]

8. What if the Supreme Court Upholds It?

There is absolutely no Constitutional basis for this bill,
but that hasn't stopped this Supreme Court before.

If the Supreme Court upholds this, we have no recourse except the streets.

[MilesColtrane]

10. That's just not the way things work.

The President would never sign it into law.

[AndyTiedye]

17. The Whole Idea of the Thing is a Coup by the House and the Supreme Court

If they got the Supreme Court to go along, it wouldn't need Obama's signature.

Since the Supreme Court is the final authority when it comes to interpreting the Constitution,
what recourse would we have if they did something like this?

[onenote]

39. Since this bill is never going to be passed by the senate and signed

there isn't any chance of the issue reaching the courts.

[MilesColtrane]

9. Republicans trying to rule by fiat.

Democracy be damned, say they.

Well, they can call H.R. 1 a law, a grapefruit, or a tiny teapot, that doesn't make it so.

[Kablooie]

25. Thats better than ruling by Peugeot isn't it?

Sorry bout that.

[MilesColtrane]

34. What are you trying to do, make me Saab?

[freshwest]

41. And me a Tesla.

[earthside]

11. Anti-American.

This from the Repuglicans and Tebaggers who are yapping ad infinitum about following the Constitution?

Proclaiming that they have the power to make a proposal law just because they pass it twice is essentially their intention of a coup d'etat, the trashing of the Constitution ... even if they said it was done just to prove a point.

"Force of law"?

Democrats, liberals and progressives ought to take this fit of political pique from the House Repuglicans and use it as a prime example of their anti-American extremism.

[FarLeftFist]

12. Here we f**king go again...

The republican bashing of our economy and trampling of the Constitution.

[Bound by Honor]

13. That should permanently end Republican rule for millenia.

Even an idiot judge can see that it is completely unconstitutional and will not stand. I hope that the same judge would order the arrest of the entire Republican House leadership and thrown into prison for contempt of the country.

[krispos42]

14. And the Party of Constitutional Purity has 93.8% of it's members...

...vote for something blatantly unconstitutional.



We don't need more proof that they think the Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper, but this example is remarkably straightforward and easy to understand.




Fuckers, all of them.

[Stuckinthebush]

15. Perhaps we need to send them all a Schoolhouse Rock video

I'm just a bill....only a bill....sitting here on capitol hill.

It is a cartoon with a happy bill that eventually becomes law. They might be able to follow it and understand how it is intended to work.

Boneheads.

[freshwest]

21. For the freepers and gophers visiting DU, and you know who you are.

A visual aid with music and cartoon figures:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

Doh!

[starroute]

22. Anthony Weiner did pretty much just that

Read aloud from a children's book they sell in the Congressional bookstore -- House Duck, Senate Duck, or something like that. The video is around here somewhere.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

33. Very funny. Here's the vid link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x569100

[freshwest]

46. Ah, but I wanted an non-partisan one appropriate for their maturity level...

:hi:

:rofl:

[quakerboy]

20. So, If I have it straight

all we need to do is survive a the next year or three, take back the house, and pass single payer with a bare majority and the same provision.

And a second one with some new corporate laws. And a third one for EFCA? etc?

[Welibs]

23. Who knew Gohmert had a conscience?

[alp227]

24. Checks and balances? original intent? nah POLITICS

these antics should be turning people away from the Greedy Obstructionist Punks. This is just wow...no words...it's abusive. And there's this book out by Ken Kuklowski complaining about how Obama will bring on an "imperial presidency". However, the House Republicans decided to create an imperial House. Ick.

[murielm99]

26. This isn't an April Fool's joke? n/t

[No Elephants]

27. Only 15 Rethugs voted against a blatantly unconstitutional bill. 15.

[handmade34]

28. posted this in another thread...

"How Our Laws are Made" revised and updated by Edward F. Willett, Jr, Esq. Law Revision Council, United States House of Representatives...

picked it up at the local Goodwill yesterday...






they are all mad, crazy people (republicans) :silly:

[florida08]

29. a waste of taxpayer money

Dog and pony show for the usurping Teacorp crowd, but still a serious attempt to undermind the Constitution and the Senate. They should all be held in contempt

[savalez]

35. Yep.

As soon as they read the Constitution aloud I knew they would soon be violating it. That's how these Republicans are. Hypocrites.

[Mojorabbit]

30. "violates my conscious"? nt

[BumRushDaShow]

31. Noticed that Boner didn't vote at all here... Coward. n/t

[Harmony Blue]

32. Bohner is the fall guy

If these nutcases go too far, which is why he is trying to distance himself as much as possible.

[TomCADem]

43. If Nancy Pelosi Organized Something Similar Under Bush, The Corporate Media...

...would have been calling for her resignation. But, since Republicans did it, all we get is a collective yawn.

[sudopod]

44. By Pete Kasperowicz - 04/01/11 02:55 PM ET nt

is this for real?

[sudopod]

45. nt

[Zorro]

47. You can read the text in all its infinite stupidity here

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr1255eh/pdf/BILLS-112hr1255eh.pdf

[RedCloud]

48. Republicans think every day is April Fool's day! In your face Reagan.