Do Politicians Support the Constitution?

The House is seriously considering a devious way to pass the health care bill without a recorded vote. No one wants to go home and tell their constituents that they voted for this terrible health care bill. The House’s answer is to pass it without actually voting for it. The method they seek to employ is called the self executing rule.

The self executing rule (Slaughter Solution) would “DEEM” the health care bill to have been passed and vote on amendments to the bill. If they approved the amendments rule, they would consider that the House passed the health care bill – without a vote. This is politics as usual in Washington – another dirty trick. It is unconstitutional to pass this bill without a recorded vote.

Article I, Section 7 of the United States Constitution states, “...the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively.”

This method has been used in the past on small matters. It was unconstitutional then – It was just not challenged. Now House leadership is seeking to change one-sixth of our economy and our very lives using an unconstitutional ploy.

The American people would go ballistic if this unwanted bill were to be passed in this manner. We are very tired of the corruption in Washington and all the “special” deals and dirty tricks that politicians employ. It is time to change Washington. Are you part of the solution or part of the problem?

Signed,
The Electorate

Slaughter Solution: Another Cheap Health Care Trick

Just when we think that Congress could not possibly sink any lower, they astonish us with their ingenuity in circumventing the laws governing them and the Constitution. Now it is being suggested that the House use the “Slaughter Solution” to pass the health care bill.

This bill is already tainted with backroom deals and threats of using reconciliation. Now they seek to provide a method that will allow House members to pass this unwanted bill without going on record as voting for it. If any member is so ashamed to vote for this bill that they don’t want their name associated with its passage, he or she should vote against it.

The Slaughter Solution was devised by Representative Louise Slaughter, the House Rules chairman. Its purpose is to avoid a recorded vote on health care. This rules change would declare that the House “deems” the Senate version of health care to have been passed by the House. Members of the House would then vote on whether to accept the new rule. There would be no real vote on the bill. This would allow members of the House to go home and claim that they only voted for the rules change and not the actual health care bill.

This is nothing but another cheap lawyers trick. If you vote for the rules change, you DO VOTE for the health care bill. You are merely parsing words. If you vote for this government take-over of health care have the guts to say “I voted for this bill”. Your unwillingness to do this proves that you know how bad this bill is and how much the American public is opposed to it.

Listen to your constituents. Scrap this bill; start over; and do it right!

Signed,
The Electorate