Posted on 03/28/2020 6:06:50 AM PDT by Kaslin
During the debate on the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in contemporary history, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) did something appalling.
With the agreement of both Republicans and Democrats in House leadership, the Speaker blocked a recorded vote on the bill. It is an old leadership trick to protect members from controversial votes by not forcing them to take a position.
In retrospect, this is going to be one of the most important votes the sitting members of Congress will ever take, yet they came up with excuses not to have to cast a recorded vote. History seems to be repeating itself. When the House was forced back in 2008 to vote on the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), that vote inspired a rebellion and the creation of Tea Party.
Although the coronavirus economic disruption was caused by government, not bad private-sector mortgage loans, Congress took great liberties to load up this bill with pet projects and inflated appropriations. While every cultural center in America has suffered from the coronavirus economic mess, the Washington, D.C. based Kennedy Center was given a special $25 million bailout, as were the National Endowment for the Arts and other projects that have strong support of congressional insiders.
This is not how Congress is supposed to work. Representatives are actually paid to draft up and vote on legislation without self-dealing. For all the faults of the Senate, they took a recorded vote on the legislation and did their job.
The cancel culture of our day has extended to politics and now targets Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) for political cancellation. Politico reports, “Thomas Massie might be the least popular man in Washington. The Kentucky congressman attempted unsuccessfully on Friday to require House members to take a recorded vote in order to pass a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package.” One of the stated objections to a recorded vote is “his efforts nonetheless forced scores of lawmakers to travel to Washington amid a pandemic to stop him.” Notwithstanding the fact that they have to travel to Washington every week when they are in session, for some reason this forced travel was the primary reason used to push back on Massie.
Rep. Massie drew the ire of some on the MAGA right like President Donald J. Trump to liberals like former Democratic candidate for President John Kerry. In the end, the leadership of both the Republican and Democratic parties in the House held hands and denied Massie the right to ask Congress to record the vote. They even prevented him from giving a speech opposing the bill as punishment for daring to request the roll call vote. The Speaker opted for a “voice vote.” The voice vote protects double-speaking politicians so they can later roll out their list of complaints about this legislation and claim they held deep reservations when the vote was quickly held.
Former failed Democratic candidate for president, John Kerry, Tweeted that Massie “tested positive for being an ***hole” and he’s given new meaning to the term #Masshole.” I grew up in Massachusetts and think that that term better describes the sanctimonious Kerry than Massie. It should raise alarms in the liberty movement when the Kerry-Clinton wing of the party openly supports this piece of legislation.
The size and scope of this relief bill is unprecedented. The bill is being marketed as a $2 trillion relief package, yet, if you add in the new authority for the Federal Reserve to backstop loans, the bill clocks much higher. The $750 billion TARP program caused a rebellion on the right and left creating the Occupy Wall Street and Tea Party movements respectively. This bill may cause an even bigger rebellion if this appropriation leads to a long-term government intervention in the private sector.
Rep. Thomas Massie was a profile in courage for standing up and demanding a roll call vote. Congress could use more members like him who show courage and are willing to stand up for the Constitution – even in the face of opposition coming from prominent members of his own party. Congress should be able to handle dissent and the possibility of a member not voting for a bill, instead of fake outrage and bullying dissenting members into supporting a bill that everybody agrees is loaded with nonsense.
“Document which Pols wanted it and which did not.”
EXACTLY. An individual’s name, and the list of specific grievances attached to that individual. Wouldn’t want any innocents hurt in the Crossfire Hurricane.
Maybe the arrogant, elite collectivists want collective guilt for this one? We the people can process that also...”in order to form a more perfect union”.
I’d like to see that defense, if you have a link.
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This took place during a press conference which I consider must see TV. I believe there was more than in this article.
I would have preferred video or a recording because the context of the words coming out of a man whose judgement I have come to trust means a lot. Reading between the lines I felt he was saying that there is some merit (from a cultural perspective) to the money being given but also this is politics which are never perfect. And also from this political perspective, imho, his explanation will win him votes or at least open eyes of those who consider him to be Satan.
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I think the nature of this site lends itself to folks who prize thinking for themselves. I am no different. But I have learned while Trump is not perfect, he's got a great deal of wisdom and his leadership right now is extraordinary.
I think the fact that he got so angry with Massi says a lot. To use a cliche, there is a time and a place for everything.
“Are there not THREE branches of government?”
2 of the 3 of the “tree of liberty” are rotted to the main by certain individuals and their offshoot branches. In the last gleaming of twighlight we saw a new nodule, a greensprout on the 3rd branch but it may be not enough to save the tree.
Does my chainsaw have gas in it? I better check.
That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. - Declaration
FF are still to this day some of the greatest individuals who ever existed on this earth.
Thanks for the sauce!
I agree. In principal he was right. It reminds me of the way Libertarians used to be. It is futile to fight an unwinnable war. So he should have made as much noise as he could and live to fight another day. Instead he manged to remove the nation’s contempt off of Pelosi and on to him. No small feat.
You’re welcome.
Trump knew what Massie was up to and refereed to him in his daily briefing the night before. So, Trump's people were no doubt in contact with Massie.
Massie deserved the public spanking. McConnell is the leader of Kentucky in Congress, regardless of which level and this KID publicly humiliated his efforts.
How many of you calling him a hero would have said the same thing if his ‘deficit hawk’ approach had been during WWII or WWI? Or against Reagan’s deficit spending to destroy the Soviet Union? Reagan would have given him the Stockman treatment and all of you apologists for him KNOW IT.
On top of that, he completely gave the LAME MEDIA the ability to bury the AOC stupidity of paying illegal immigrants! F**k Massie. Primary the bastard if it isn’t too late and make sure this PUNK never gets a good committee assignment if it’s too late. And definitely primary his a** in 2022 if necessary.
There are times for principle, this is one of those rare times you worry about it later.
No way, his constituents appreciate being represented by a patriot.
“Not to mention the bill was guaranteed to pass anyways, so what’s the problem?”
How about:
133 congressmen (based on a report) having to risk getting this by flying in to vote on the floor unnecessarily
Allowing the media to morally equivocate AOC’s illegal immigrant complaint, which was a DISASTER on social media among independents and younger voters, as they were trashing her all over the place
Embarrassing his own state’s Senate Majority Leader (MM ALWAYS gets even and he will this time too, so the kid killed his own career)
Giving the media the additional story of a divided party, which on THIS VOTE it was not.
Want more?
We are watching the Constitution being shredded before our eyes with hardly a whimper from those who swore to protect and defend it.
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That happened on Usurpation Day, January 20, 2009
“No way, his constituents appreciate being represented by a patriot.”
And if somehow loses his re-election? Will you come back here and recant?
The vote was unanimous. There were no nay votes. So if we know who was present we know how they all voted, same as if it were recorded.
“Rep. Thomas Massie was a profile in courage for standing up and demanding a roll call vote. Congress could use more members like him who show courage and are willing to stand up for the Constitution – even in the face of opposition coming from prominent members of his own party. Congress should be able to handle dissent and the possibility of a member not voting for a bill, instead of fake outrage and bullying dissenting members into supporting a bill that everybody agrees is loaded with nonsense.”
God bless this brave man.
When there are real enemies of the citizens wearing R jerseys trying to give away our country with amnesty for illegal aliens, it’s ironic that the one guy trying to uphold the Constitution is the one you want punished.
He tried to stop them from ignoring the Constitution (again)
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