US health care: Slaughter rule unconstitutional (Judicial Watch)
Tom Fitton, president of the Judicial Watch, a conservative educational foundation in Washington, DC, issued a statement today in response to plans by the House of Representatives to use the so-called Slaughter Rule to "deem" the Senate health care bill passed without an actual up-or-down vote.
If the House passes the bill on Sunday, President Barack Obama would then sign it into law. The Senate is then expected to vote on a House-passed package of fixes to the bill which would amend that law and make it palatable to House members.
Republicans have mounted a fierce campaign to stop the bill, which they say would hike taxes and amounts to a massive government takeover of the mostly-private health care industry.
"It's clear that now is the crunch time. It's pretty clear that the vote is pretty tight," said Republican House minority leader John Boehner.
Text of Judicial Watch statement:
A constitutional crisis is upon us. The Democratic leadership's plan to use the "Slaughter Rule" to pass the Senate health care bill without an explicit "yea or nay" vote by the House is an absolute violation of the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 7).
Indeed, the Supreme Court has held that "(1) a bill containing its exact text was approved by a majority of the Members of the House of Representatives; (2) the Senate approved precisely the same text; and (3) that text was signed into law by the President. The Constitution explicitly requires that each of those three steps be taken before a bill may 'become a law.'" Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417, 448 (1998)
Simply put, the House can't pretend to vote on a bill and expect that the result will pass constitutional muster. No House member can keep true to his oath of office to "support and defend the Constitution" and approve the use of the Slaughter Rule to avoid a direct vote on the Senate health care bill.
And the U.S. Constitution would also seem to require that President Obama veto any resulting "bill" sent to him for signature, as the document that results from any House action under the Slaughter Rule is a constitutional nullity.
But concerned Americans should not assume that the courts will uphold the Constitution and throw out any government health care takeover because of the Slaughter Rule. The best defense against the Slaughter Rule's usurpation of the Constitution is to stop it legislatively this weekend.
-
Related News
- Fresh air for conservatives in U.S. - Rick Santorum wins huge in MN, MO, CO
- Moldova and the United States assess their 20 years of diplomatic relations
- Moldovan officials participate at the Munich security conference
- Moldova and the USA have strong educational partnerships
- Bitter statement of the US Ambassador to Romania
- Hillary Clinton will travel to Europe for official meetings
- Moldova's civil society asks the international community for help in solving the Transnistria conflict
- Germany and the USA want a better conflict management in Moldova
- Hungarians rally against their new consitution
- Stratfor: Russia's plan to disrupt U.S.-European relations
- 10 most important world events of 2005
- The rise and fall of Saddam Hussein
- Iraq: Saddam Hussein and another ex-senior officials sentenced to death by hanging
- Analysis: Black Sea Rivalry
- Report: Saddam Hussein has been executed
- On 31 August Moldova celebrates the Language Day
- Sexual humiliation and torture of female protesters reported
- Saddam Hussein handed over to Iraqi authorities, say lawyers
- Saddam Hussein's execution could be within next 48-36 hours
- Deadly blast at checkpoint near Peshawar