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During
the
the Senate Ethics Committee's "Keating Five" investigation in
late 1989, Alan
Cranston absented himself after claiming he was being treated for
cancer ( miraculously cured when the hearings ended). At some point a
legislative
aide, testifying in Cranston's behalf, casually admitted that she, and
other staffers, would routinely change, insert and otherwise "clarify"
enacted legislation during the conference committee that
reconciled differences in House and Senate versions. *Gasps* Big
hub-bub ensued, most likely, in retrospect, for the benefit of
the
C-Span audience.¹
That this could happen was news to me, and
begged the question, "How in hell are we to know what laws that govern
our behavior were actually debated and voted on, and which were
casually inserted by some staffer with a yen?" The 10 million
pages, or so, that comprise the Obamacare legislation,
prolly contains hundreds of little treasures like the gold buyer
tax. We'll find out what they are when the IRS sends the
penalty notice.
Am I the only person seething over this, and other corrupt
practices by our gummint? I think not. Here's a "fix" that
is better than many alternatives that involve bloodshed. Sunset
every single law after 10years. I mean every law. If it's
worthwhile, it will be reintroduced and reenacted. Most will
not. I have a groinal tingle just thinking about it; you do too,
wot?
¹ Don't go looking for
verification of the Cranston story. Democrats had the
investigation transcripts sealed, so I can, like congress, just
make stuff up. (But I didn't)
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On the assumption that this is true, we'll never find out - no politician is ever going to admit that they didn't read the document they actually signed or that something was inserted after the fact by someone on their staff.
ReplyDelete.
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We know to a certainty that no member of congress read the Obamacare bill because they never saw it before the vote, House or Senate. The guiding principle was "Just do it, and fix it later!" And, although it's irrelevant to that point, you can take my anecdote to the bank. Wait, I mean bet your life on its veracity.
ReplyDeleteUGH, I have collecting silver conies bullion and those little one ounce bars since I was little, not so much gold but I do have a few of those too. Good god, folding money can deflate to just the paper it is but gold and silver will always be money. and that they can not control, It is and always been about control.
ReplyDeleteSherryM
Who do you think writes the bills in the first place? Certainly not those morons who we send there to ostensibly represent us. I doubt if half of them can even read.
ReplyDeleteGrinfilledCelt
This is more nefarious than the usual Forms 1099 for everything from $600 paid to the yardman to orgasms.
ReplyDeleteThis looks a lot more like the Federal government wanting to know who owns gold and how much.
Why would it be interested in that?
You'd be surprised at how many politicians lately admit to not reading the bills. Even today, Steny Hoyer was mocking Boehner for introducing an amendment requiring just that.
ReplyDelete"Given the endless string of broken promises and backroom deals that comprise House Democrats’ job-killing record, I can see why the Majority Leader would find letting the American people – and Members of Congress – read a bill before it passes, 'unreasonable,'" Boehner spokesman Michael Steel shot back. "But this is not the Democrats’ House, it is the people’s House, and the people have a right to know what we’re voting on.”