The Pelosi Rule: Just Agree to Vote Yes and She’ll Let You See the Bill
I didn’t intend for the past couple weeks to be All Stimulus, All the Time around here. I’d much rather be talking about other things. I swear, though, there’s so much wrong with what has been happening that I can’t help but stumble over some new bit of wrongness that I feel is worth passing along to you.
For instance, there’s the matter of the actual voting on the bill. Speaker Pelosi has scheduled the vote to happen today, but Republicans raised an objection. It seems they have this crazy idea that they should actually have a copy of the bill to read before they vote on it. Further, they madly insisted that they be given time to read the 1,434-page beast before they vote.
Clearly, the obstructionists are on the march, huh?
So there won’t be a vote until tomorrow, though Pelosi hasn’t given an official reason for the delay. Note that Republicans still don’t have a copy of the bill and even if they did, no same person could claim that 24 hours is enough time to read the bill and digest the contents. This, by the way, is not a concern for Democrats. According to National Journal, Democrats said that “Republicans didn’t need to see the bill anyway, since none of them voted for the stimulus when it moved through the House the first time and would probably stand in opposition.”
So now there’s a new Pelosi rule that you can’t even read a copy of legislation unless you agree beforehand to vote for it. Nice, huh?
There’s also the matter of whether the stimulus will do any good at all or not. Nick Gillespie, looking back on other recessions, says that we should break out the bubbly soon since most recession-ending legislation doesn’t happen until the recession is pretty much over already.
And you’ll also be pleased to know that Demcorats believe that undoing the welfare reforms passed in the 1990s is a key to stimulating the economy. Those welfare reforms have been wildly successful in getting people off of welfare, back to work, and well on the road to self-sufficiency. I’m not sure how giving people a greater incentive to go on old-school giveaway welfare programs is going to help our economy. They’ll sure help the Democrats running those programs, though.
UPDATE: Linked by Ed Driscoll. Thanks, Ed!
Other Posts of Interest:
- Republicans Find their Courage, Unanimously Vote Against the Democratic Vote-Buying Bill
- The Stimulus Bill Must Die by Morning
- Some Stimulus Facts: How Big Is It?
Category: Our New Democratic Overlords, The Economy and Your Money
[...] of the The Sundries Shack writes: Speaker Pelosi has scheduled the vote to happen today, but Republicans raised an objection. [...]
What a Revolting development. What a Revolting bunch of thieves. Arrogant, greedy, bloodsuckers are stealing our Country, our work ethic, our value system, and our MONEY! The respect we used to have as a great nation is going to hades. The antics of this power hungry Congress is embarrassing.
I do believe that they all took oaths to defend the Constitution….and they haven't just tweaked it's meaning by warped interpretation, they have put it aside, and ignored its protection of our rights as Citizens. WE The PEOPLES POCKETS are being PICKED by sleazy POLITICIANS, and they are getting away with it, against the will of the MAJORITY.
Where is our representation? Will some Constitutional Attorney defend the rights of the American people and stop this madness!
Please think a minute. It sounds terrible, doesn't it, "a copy of the bill won't be seen before vote". Relax, there is manipulation of the public going on. The people who are voting know all about what is in the bill. It is customary for all voting to take place before the official printed copy is out. This is just administrative stuff. But to release a story to the press that says that Pelosi is trying to undermine knowledge of the bill, equating knowledge of the bill with having a copy to read, is irresponsible. Congresspeople know what is inside every bill they vote before the 'hard copy' comes out. A bill gets worked on in many committees before the language is finished. The Congresspeople know what is involved when the final language is approved–then the official copy is printed up. This is not an effort on Pelosi's or anyone's part to stymie Congressional knowledge of the bill–they already know.
You are incorrect.