2905 The Vote

Sunday, March 21, 210

A man might forget where he parks or where he lives,
but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is.
-- Barbara Bush --
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Well, the health care vote is supposed to happen today. The plan is to use a technique called "deem and pass". There's an explanation of D&P at http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/the-health-care-reform-debate-what-deem-and-pass-really-means/1080891, and a discussion at the WSJ law blog, at http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/03/18/on-health-care-reform-and-the-constitution-part-iv/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Flaw%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+Law+Blog%29&utm_content=Bloglines.

Basically, they pass the amendments (HR4872, a.k.a. "the reconciliation") , and that automatically passes the bill being amended.

The problem is that if it is passed, foes of the entire bill won't let that stand. They'll fight it as unconstitutional, theorizing that you can't amend a bill that has not itself been passed. Of course, without the amendments, the bill won't pass. Catch 22.

Frankly, I very much approve of passing amendments before a base bill, in almost all cases.

Think of it this way - some governing body wants to pass a law that would result in my having one finger chopped off every week for 10 weeks. Naturally, I object. So they promise that there will be an amendment, canceling the finger chopping part, that will be passed immediately after the original bill.

Uh huh. Yeah, sure.

Pass the amendment FIRST!!!! Then we'll talk....
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