Seemingly absent in what one would have expected to be the minimally required public debate over so important a piece of legislation, The House enacted H.R. 418 Thursday last. Despair not, maybe, for the battle might not yet be lost, The Senate having yet to be heard from.
Re Senate action, look out for one ploy, at least for one ploy in particular. The ploy being the attachment of H.R. 418, to some "must pass legislation", such as the legislation that will fund our ongoing military action in Iraq and or Afghanistan, as mentioned in an article that recently appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It likely was to be seen in other papers too.
Of course, in the event that The Conference Committee comes into play, re this legislation, pay very close attention to the acts of those conveniently unnamed staffers, who in the dead of night, have been known to insert "little noticed" items into Omnibus Bills. As I mentioned, this is a ploy that while to often utilized, would be trotted out much further down the line. It is something to look out for.
I suspect that, given the way the game called legislation seemingly is played, that the "attachment ploy" is more likely to be seen or utilized. I submit that The People, or that segment thereof who might be concerned at the runaway growth of all powerful, over weaning Big Government, and the concomitant loss of individual freedom that comes with it, needs to guard against.
The following was attributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson observed, on legislation, as follows. Legislative proposals must be viewed not so much respecting the good ends claimed, if properly applied, but rather respecting how many harms might be done if improperly applied, or if abused. Strikes me that the foregoing is particularly applicable to H.R. 418.
Re Senate action, look out for one ploy, at least for one ploy in particular. The ploy being the attachment of H.R. 418, to some "must pass legislation", such as the legislation that will fund our ongoing military action in Iraq and or Afghanistan, as mentioned in an article that recently appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It likely was to be seen in other papers too.
Of course, in the event that The Conference Committee comes into play, re this legislation, pay very close attention to the acts of those conveniently unnamed staffers, who in the dead of night, have been known to insert "little noticed" items into Omnibus Bills. As I mentioned, this is a ploy that while to often utilized, would be trotted out much further down the line. It is something to look out for.
I suspect that, given the way the game called legislation seemingly is played, that the "attachment ploy" is more likely to be seen or utilized. I submit that The People, or that segment thereof who might be concerned at the runaway growth of all powerful, over weaning Big Government, and the concomitant loss of individual freedom that comes with it, needs to guard against.
The following was attributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson observed, on legislation, as follows. Legislative proposals must be viewed not so much respecting the good ends claimed, if properly applied, but rather respecting how many harms might be done if improperly applied, or if abused. Strikes me that the foregoing is particularly applicable to H.R. 418.