Great moments in the history of centrism Pt. IV

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) discovered some astounding language in the bowels of Senatecare regarding the Independent Medicare Advisory Board which, when it comes to fruition, will not be confused with either “independent” or merely “advisory”. Here’s what DeMint said on the floor of the Senate this past week

There's one provision that I found particularly troubling and it's under section c, titled "limitations on changes to this subsection."

And I quote -- "it shall not be in order in the senate or the house of representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."

This is not legislation. it's not law, this is a rule change. It's a pretty big deal. We will be passing a new law and at the same time creating a senate rule that makes it out of order to amend or even repeal the law.

I'm not even sure that it's constitutional, but if it is, it most certainly is a senate rule. I don't see why the majority party wouldn't put this in every bill. If you like your law, you most certainly would want it to have force for future senates.

I mean, we want to bind future congresses? This goes to the fundamental purpose of senate rules: to prevent a tyrannical majority from trampling the rights of the minority or of future co congresses.

(emphasis, ours)

Reid must be pretty committed to making sure your healthcare decisions will be permanently taken out of your hands with language like that.

And weren’t the statists in the press just recently whining about “the system” being “ungovernable”? Well, this certainly puts a cherry on top of that. Forget “ungovernable”, how about “why show up at all” when you have made rules that prohibit repealing, changing or modifying existing laws.

C’mon, libs – let’s hear it. We want to hear the howls of indignation regarding just how truly undemocratic this bill is. We wanna hear more about how ungovernable the system will be under these new rules Reid has fashioned. We certainly want to hear more about the transparency under which they were fashioned and we want to hear more about the centrism being embraced by the Democrats with respect to Obamacare.