Republicans fired up over latest Dem stunt
Roy Blunt lets them have it.
By Mark Kilmer Posted in Congress — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
On the Democrats' latest trick, reopening a vote to prevent federal ag funds from going to illegal immigrants so that they could get their desired results, here's Roy Blunt:
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REP. ROY BLUNT:
I have left the House frustrated, I have left the House encouraged, I have left the House proud, I have left the House not so proud.
I have never left the House ashamed.
What I heard this morning, I don't agree with it: the idea that we have massively violated the traditions of the House and the only penalty is we'll be more careful in future. I decided for four years when that vote would quit as the Whip. We never stopped the vote before the clerk handed the person the piece of paper saying what the vote was -- and the vote on the piece of paper was 215 to 213.
A majority of this House voted that illegal immigrants should not receive these benefits. That's what the vote was about. All you've got to do is go back to committee, amend the bill, and come back to the floor. You lost the vote. I didn't hit the gavel. I didn't speak over the clerk who was trying to read the vote. The chair did. The chair decided the vote was over. It doesn't matter what that board says. What matters is what the tally was. A week of violations of the principles of the House culminated last night in such an excessive way that Republicans walked off the floor.
And it was a deserved walkout. I'm ashamed of the House.
This crew of Democrats are in way over their heads. They've imagined a non-existent mandate, and they think that they have been empowered by an election to rule as dictators. They have to go.
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Republicans fired up over latest Dem stunt 10 Comments (0 topical, 10 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
The GOP did not have the votes and the Chair "stupidly" closed it? Yes, of course it was just sophmoric stupidity. Funny how it worked out for the GOP until they changed it.
Hmmm. Did you actually watch the original vote?
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
Contributor to The Minority Report
and thats why I had questions in previous post.
I wasn't trying to be a snark.
let me rephrase my question.
Blunt says the vote was something like 215-213 on the original vote.
Was that the same number of people voting on the second go around?
There wasn't a second go-round. There was 215-213, which was when the vote was closed, gaveled down. The Democrats changed the result of the vote by allowing members to change their votes after the tally had been announced and the vote was over.
Congress had voted, 215-213, to recommit the bill to committee with instructions to add the language regarding no federal ag funds for illegal immigrants. Steny saw this, didn't like it, and reopened the vote so that the Dems could alter the outcome.
It was as if the vote had never been gaveled to a close. The Dems wrote a new ending.
Given how big of a stink the Democrats made about the Republican leadership leaving votes open a long time so they could twist arms. I guess the Republican leadership didn't realize they could just call for a mulligan if they lost.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
"my friends on the other side of the aisle" crap. If Congressional Democrats are your "friends", you need new friends and you need to learn how to pick your friends.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
comity. Having been a legislator I can tell you is is very hard not to say "the scheming lying backstabber from California" and instead say "my friend from California".
It is intended to make for a more civil situation. Sometimes it works but once in a while you slip - like when I called the chair of senate finance a liar. He knew he was, I knew he was - everybody knew he was - but I should have been civil and allowed that perhaps he mis-spoke.
When I was "taken to the wood shed" by the senate pres, he said "about what you said" - I said "Yeah, shouldn't have said it" he said "yeah you are right-both times" end of discussion.
What you did was called telling the truth. I haven't apologized yet for doing so. You shouldn't have either.
As Patrick Swayze said in "Roadhouse" - "Be nice, until it is time not to be nice."
It is time not to be nice.
If this was really as flagerant as he's making it out to be then the GOP could just shut down the house by calling for votes on everything.
The truth, I think, is that the GOP didn't have the votes, but got lucky when the chair stupidly closed the vote. Or was this a case where they were trying to provide cover for a few Blue Dog Dems and then realized they couldn't provide enough cover and had a few switch their votes?
Oz
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