Freedom Line Blog

Reports are surfacing that Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee is preparing a rule to accompany the Senate’s version of health care “reform” when it comes to the House for approval.  Already, Democratic leaders are planning to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass a Republican filibuster threat.  But first the House must pass the Senate’s bill before reconciliation can be used.  Enter the “Slaughter Solution.”

Since Speaker Pelosi doesn’t yet have the votes to pass the Senate plan, Slaughter would present a rule “deeming” the bill passed so long as a majority of House members vote for the rule.  Got that?   The geniuses on Capitol Hill are telling themselves that members up for reelection can convince voters that voting for the rule is different than voting for the bill itself, even though voting for the rule passes the bill.

No wonder D.C. is so screwed up.  If the Democratic leadership manages to nationalize one-sixth of the economy by unconstitutionally refusing to have the same bill pass both chambers before sending it to the president, then there will be hell to pay in November.

Another consequence will be an unprecedented opening for a presidential candidate to run as the wise old man of Washington in 2012.  In fact, one of his campaign commercials could feature the School House Rocks version of “How a Bill Becomes a Law.”  Along with the Tea Party movement, millions more Americans would no doubt appreciate a major politician who actually reads and understands the constitutional procedure for making binding federal law.  Heaven knows, the Democrats in Congress and the White House certainly don’t.