Draconian Rules Change Creates Partisan Furor

The draconian rules change in the U.S. House of Representatives, initiated by Nancy Pelosi and approved overwhelmingly by House Democrats who control the chamber, has created a partisan furor in Washington.

In spite of Barack Obama's talk about 'reaching across the aisle' in a spirit of bipartisanship, the Democrats not only gave a thumbs down to that idea but went further to essentially strip the GOP of any influence whatsoever upon proposed legislation.

The rules change will mean the following:

*The repeal of term limits for committee chairs implemented by Republicans
*The elimination of the 'motion to recommit' on the part of the minority Party
*The end of free, open debate on the House floor on Democrat-initiated bills
*The elimination of the opportunity of the minority to offer alternative bills to proposed legislation

As Robert Romano states in the article linked above:

Without the ability to offer alternatives to pieces of legislation like cap-and-trade, socialized medicine, massive bailout proposals for the Majority’s favored industries, restrictions on energy production, etc., the GOP is being robbed of the chance to debate some of the most important issues facing Congress during the coming session.

And we can safely add to that list gun control legislation that will roll back the clock to more oppressive times when gun bans and more restrictions on the right to bear arms were the order of the day.

The Democrats have effectively silenced any free, open debate on the House floor concerning these issues of grave significance.

This means, in stark terms, that extremists such as Carolyn McCarthy, Charles Rangel, and John Conyers, among others, can essentially have their way when it comes to legislation restricting Second Amendment rights.

Supposedly the American public rebelled against partisanship in the last election. Yet, the representatives they elected to Congress have just insured the most partisan atmosphere in Washington in decades.

UPDATE: Nan Gets Her Way on New Rules

Commissar Nan Pelosi, Speaker of the House, got her way on the new rules as House Democrats voted overwhelmingly to approve a measure that will muzzle Republicans.

Only a small handful of Democrats did the right thing and voted to retain fairness rules that permit the minority Party to block potential legislation.

The Democrats certainly benefited from the fairness rules while Republicans were in the majority. Never did the GOP attempt to thwart the right of the minority Party to block bills.

Yet when Democrats come to 'power' fairness goes out the door.

And now, the Democrats can steamroll any piece of legislation through Congress without having to contend with opposition.

Sieg Heil!

COMMISSAR PELOSI MUZZLES HOUSE GOP!

Demonstrating that she has absolutely no desire for debate, differences of opinion, or bipartisanship, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has initiated the process to change the fairness rules that have governed the House since 1994, essentially ending any GOP input on proposed legislation.

Commissar Pelosi plans to muzzle any potential GOP opposition to liberal legislation proposed by Democrats. The mechanism she plans to use in order to accomplish this totalitarian form of rule is to abolish House procedures that require that the minority Party have opportunity to debate proposed legislation.

According to Human Events:

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.

The planned rules change was met with outrage by House Republicans, who drafted a letter sent directly to the Speaker, a letter which outlined their reasons for vehemently opposing the rules change.

Again, according to the article,

Pelosi’s proposed repeal of decades-long House accountability reforms exposes a tyrannical Democrat leadership poised to assemble legislation in secret, then goose-step it through Congress by the elimination of debate and amendment procedures as part of America’s governing legislative process.

This kind of behavior on the part of our elected officials should not tolerated in a society that prides itself on open government and dissent, particularly Democratic liberals who talk a good game but behave very differently when they are in power.