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January 06, 2009
Pelosi's Goal To Erase Gingrich's Long-Standing Fairness Rules
Pelosi Erases Gingrich's Long-Standing Fairness Rules
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to re-write House rules today to ensure that the Republican minority is unable to have any influence on legislation.
Pelosi’s proposals are so draconian, and will so polarize the Capitol, that any thought President-elect Obama has of bipartisan cooperation will be rendered impossible before he even takes office.
Pelosi’s rule changes -- which may be voted on today -- will reverse the fairness rules that were written around Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America.”
In reaction, the House Republican leadership is sending a letter today to Pelosi to object to changes to House Rules this week that would bar Republicans from offering alternative bills, amendments to Democrat bills or even the guarantee of open debate accessible by motions to recommit for any piece of legislation during the entire 111th Congress. These procedural abuses, as outlined in the below letter obtained by HUMAN EVENTS, would also include the repeal of six-year limit for committee chairmen and other House Rules reform measures enacted in 1995 as part of the Contract with America.
January 5, 2009
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Madame Speaker,
We hope you and your family had a joyful holiday season, and as we begin a new year and a new Congress, we look forward to working with you, our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and President-elect Obama in tackling the many challenges facing our nation.
President Obama has pledged to lead a government that is open and transparent. With that in mind, we are deeply troubled by media reports indicating that the Democratic leadership is poised to repeal reforms put in place in 1995 that were intended to help restore Americans’ trust and confidence in the People’s House. Specifically, these reports note that the Majority, as part of its rules package governing the new Congress, will end six-year term limits for Committee chairs and further restrict the opportunity for all members to offer alternative legislation. This does not represent change; it is reverting back to the undemocratic one-party rule and backroom deals that the American people rejected more than a decade ago. And it has grave implications for the American people and their freedom, coming at a time when an unprecedented expansion of federal power and spending is being hastily planned by a single party behind closed doors. Republicans will vigorously oppose repealing these reforms if they are brought to a vote on the House floor.
As you know, after Republicans gained the majority in the House in 1995, our chamber adopted rules to limit the terms of all committee chairs to three terms in order to reward new ideas, innovation, and merit rather than the strict longevity that determined chairmanships in the past. This reform was intended to help restore the faith and trust of the American people in their government – a theme central to President-elect Obama’s campaign last year. He promoted a message of “change,” but Madame Speaker, abolishing term limit reform is the opposite of “change.” Instead, it will entrench a handful of Members of the House in positions of permanent power, with little regard for its impact on the American people.
The American people also stand to pay a price if the Majority further shuts down free and open debate on the House floor by refusing to allow all members the opportunity to offer substantive alternatives to important legislation -- the same opportunities that Republicans guaranteed to Democrats as motions to recommit during their 12 years in the Minority. The Majority’s record in the last Congress was the worst in history when it came to having a free and open debate on the issues.
This proposed change also would prevent Members from exposing and offering proposals to eliminate tax increases hidden by the Democratic Majority in larger pieces of legislation. This is not the kind of openness and transparency that President-elect Obama promised. This change would deprive tens of millions of Americans the opportunity to have a voice in the most important policy decisions facing our country.
Madame Speaker, we urge you to reconsider the decision to repeal these reforms, which could come up for a vote as early as tomorrow. Just as a new year brings fresh feelings of optimism and renewal for the American people, so too should a new Congress. Changing the House rules in the manner highlighted by recent media reports would have the opposite effect: further breaching the trust between our nation’s elected representatives and the men and women who send them to Washington to serve their interests and protect their freedom.
Sincerely,
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Republican Leader
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Republican Whip
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Conference Chairman
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), Policy Committee Chairman
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wyo.), Conference Vice-Chair
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), Conference Secretary
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), NRCC Chairman
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Chief Deputy Whip
Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), Rules Committee Ranking Republican
Wild Thing's comment.........
Nancy Pelosi to America: “I know what’s best for all of you two-bit peasants, now bow down to me or else!” Eva Peron would be proud Pelosi.
This is what 'Rats do when they have power. They play hardball. They take no prisoners. They crush their opposition beneath their boot. They rule with an iron fist and brook no dissent.
Contrast that with the 'Republican style: "reaching across the aisle", "bipartisanship", "cooperation", "respecting the rights of the minority", "playing fair".
Now, of the two, which do the kool-aide sheep choose? And what does that say about what the sheep respect and understand?
Just a question....is ithis going to be the precursor to rewriting the Constitution????
Republicans need to stop bringing chocolates to a gunfight.
....Thank you Jack.
Army Combat Engineers
67-69
Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent
Posted by Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 03:48 AM
Comments
She's pretty sure she's Queen of America...that's why she worked so hard against Hillary.
I think she's off her rocker. I've never seen such blatant displays of delusion and unapologetic elitism as hers and Reid's. In fact, the Dems as a whole have pretty much gotten so cocky with their majority they have gotten sloppy. I hope it will be their demise.
This just can't happen. It's bad enough now, she can't have absolute power. No way!
Posted by: Eden at January 6, 2009 06:23 AM
I doubt they'll even try to rewrite the Constitution. Ooh a history lesson for the rats in congress about what happens when you sieze power from the people. In 1835 Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna declared himself dictator of mexico after doing away with the mexican constitution of 1824 back when Texas was a mexican province. On October 2, he dispatched Captain Francisco de Castaneda and 100 mexican dragoons to retrieve a small cannon given to the people of Gonzales, Texas. In response the People organized a Militia on the spot taking their personal arms to use against the advancing mexican troops. They also used a wedding dress to make a makeshift flag. The flag had a single black star, a drawing of the cannon, and the phrase "COME AND TAKE IT" shortly after a brief skirmish the mexicans withdrew from Gonzales and the Texas Revolution had begun. The Texans wanted one thing the reinstitution of the constitution of 1824, regardless of the outcome and achievements of the war that was the original goal of the revolution. We Texans love our guns and there will be another one of these if the rats try. Also we Texans dominate the ranks of the U.S. Military somewhere around 2/3 I believe and literally half of the guys in my Company in Basic Training were Texans (we were shocked at how close we lived to one another), so barry would be HEAVILY outgunned to say the least.
P.S. Where does he get off telling me I need to learn Spanish, Hey barack, Chingate Pendejo! Puedes ir tú Mismo Tornillo! Translation: F*ck You A**hole, You Can Go Screw Yourself!
Posted by: JohnE PFC U.S. Army at January 6, 2009 06:34 AM
I remember that, John. And didn't he admit he didn't know any other languages?
Oh, I forgot, do as he says, not as he does.
My husband and I are big Texas fans. God bless ya!
Posted by: Eden at January 6, 2009 06:38 AM
Eden, Thanks.
Posted by: JohnE PFC U.S. Army at January 6, 2009 06:57 AM
"Ein Reich...Ein Volk...Ein Nutsy Pelosi!"
A good ole Roman Cadillac Christian, eh?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 6, 2009 10:29 AM
Pelosi wants all of America to be as queer and radical as San Francisco and Berkeley. I wonder if there will be a major clash or clashes between Obama and Pelosi as each tries to be the dominant ruler.
JohnPFC, remember Davy Crockett's famous sttement,"You can all go to Hell, I'm going to Texas". Glad I'm here already.
Posted by: TomR at January 6, 2009 01:27 PM
I wonder if Republicans have learned that you can't play fair with Democrats?
Posted by: BobF at January 6, 2009 03:38 PM
If Nancy Pelosi and her Democrat Gestapo House excludes Republicans from fair participation in legislation then all of the Republicans should refuse to attend voting on any and all bills proposed. The public will then have a clear view of the Democrats having 100% responsibility for all that happens.
Posted by: Les at January 6, 2009 03:38 PM
Thank You Chrissie. Everyone sometimes has a down day, stay motivated. I look at the left and think that if the Dems didn't want this they had a chance to clean up their act, they voted en masse for these buffoons, just like the pallies voted en masse for Hamas. Democracy has nothing to do with Democrat, it's just another hijacked communist term like progressive, centrist or liberal. Something Inspirational Get Back Up. Give them enough rope to hang themselves then kick their asses.
Posted by: Jack at January 6, 2009 05:58 PM
Eden I agree so much, I honestly think Pelosi is nuts.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:04 PM
JohnE PFC U.S. Army,a BIG thank you for all of that.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:07 PM
Darth, yes, rememeber when the Catholic church was ticked at Pelosi and Biden and Obama too for their stance on abortion.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:11 PM
Tom, yes your right, my guess is there will be many clashes between Obama and Pelosi.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:19 PM
BobF, I pray they have learned, but I think only a few of them have learned their lesson.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:20 PM
Les, yes they have got to fight back somehow. The Republicans that managed to stay in office better start reading as much as possible on how to fight these people and not with candy and flowers but cold hard steel in their attacks.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:24 PM
Jack that is so awesome, what a wondeful man. Thank you so much for the link. I am going to forward it to others.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 6, 2009 07:33 PM
PS Bear Nation: Is this the same Nutsy Pelosi with a 14% popularity rating in November 2009?
... 14 F'N percent?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 7, 2009 10:19 AM
