Democrats stamping out democracy on Capitol Hill
Examiner Editorial
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January 13, 2009
We know Democratic lawmakers have taken their bully-boy tactics too far when even The Washington Post worries about the lack of civility in the 111th Congress. As the Post notes, during the 110th Congress "Democrats brought more measures to the House floor under closed rules - permitting no amendments - than any of the six previous Republican-controlled congresses." Barring amendments to proposed legislation, of course, means take it or leave it, which renders floor debate all but meaningless. But then a meaningless floor debate is fitting since House members of both parties often don't even bother to read measures before voting on them.
Considering how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are treating Republicans in the new Congress, the brazen muzzling of minority rights will continue. Take the pork-laden $10 billion public lands bill Reid ram-rodded over the weekend. It combined more than 160 discrete bills in one omnibus monstrosity, with no amendments permitted. In fact, it's been six months since Reid permitted Senate GOPers to offer amendments to any Democratic proposal in the Senate. By stifling GOP amendments, Reid is robbing millions of Americans of their right to be heard in the Senate. As Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, says: "Offering amendments is a right and responsibility of senators, not a special privilege or scheduling inconvenience."
On the House side, in addition to severely limiting the GOP's right to propose amendments from the floor, Pelosi has even gone after the hallowed minority prerogative of offering a motion to recommit a bill before a final vote on passage. Recommiting a bill sends it back to committee, which usually kills it. During their dozens years as a majority, House Republicans only rarely limited Democrats’ ability to offer recommit motions. Unless Pelosi relents, House Republicans and dissident Democrats will be all but shut out of the legislative process in 2009.
Republicans must not meekly submit. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had an inkling of the proper response when he encouraged his Republican colleagues to boycott the weekend public lands bill vote. But something more dramatic is required if Republicans are to become relevant again. McConnell and his GOP colleagues should filibuster every single piece of legislation, every single procedural motion, every piece of business that comes before the Senate. If Reid continues his strong-arm tactics, then McConnell and the Republicans should boycott all Senate votes in which they are not permitted to offer amendments. Their time would be better spent outside the chamber challenging Reid to let democracy back into the Senate.
