Practically Speaking

ObamaCare at any cost? Slaughter Rule butchers Constitution

Posted by Kyle Prast on March 16, 2010 | 19 comments

Constitution, Health care, Legislation, President Obama

What better name for a procedure that butchers the U.S. Constitution than the Slaughter Rule! This is the latest attempt to pass ObamaCare without actually following the process outlined in our Constitution that both the House and Senate must pass the same bill to become law. It is enough to make James Madison roll over in his grave.

From Senator Mitch McConnell in the Wall Street Journal: [My emphasis] "Democratic congressional leaders have floated a plan to enact health-care reform by a procedure dubbed "the Slaughter solution." It is named not for the political carnage that it might inflict on their members, but for Rep. Louise Slaughter (D., N.Y.), chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, who proposed it. Under her proposal, Democrats would pass a rule that deems the Senate's health-care bill to have passed the House, without the House actually voting on the bill. This would enable Congress to vote on legislation that fixes flaws in the Senate health-care bill without facing a Senate filibuster, and without requiring House members to vote in favor of a Senate bill that is now politically toxic.

The Slaughter solution cannot be squared with Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution."

What is so amazing about using the newly crafted Slaughter Rule is that Democrats are hoping voters will forget that their Democrat Representative voted yes via the Slaughter Rule, without them actually having to vote yes to the Senate version of ObamaCare. But voting yes, which then propells ObamaCare to the President for signature into law, is rather like someone hiring a hit man and then claiming they had nothing to do with the murder.

All I can say is that an ObamaCare bill by any other name would still smell as putrid.

Regardless if the Representative votes yes for the Senate version or "deems" it passed with this Slaughter Rule trick, the outcome is still the same: taxpayer paid abortion, a government takeover of 1/6th of our economy, government takeover of the healthcare industry, unsustainable debt, and an unconstitutional mandate to purchase health insurance. Voters will NOT forget this.

Talk show host Mark Levin, a Constitutional Attorney, on the Unconstitutional Slaughter Rule: he said that James Madison and the framers of the Constitution precisely directed how laws are to be passed. Slaughter's new rule does not follow this format; it is NOT Constitutional. "If this (Slaughter maneuver that "deems" the Senate version passed) is done, this will create the greatest constitutional crisis since the Civil War. ...It is blatantly unconstitutional."

At this point there is very little we citizens can do to prevent this travesty besides maybe sending one last Grassfire Nation petition (by Wed. noon deadline) and calling key Democrat Representatives - I would add Rep. Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735. The Congressional Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Remind them a yes on the Senate version, Reconciliation, or Slaughter trick is still a vote for ObamaCare, and you won't forget it. I sent the petition and am doing some calling.  The Hill's Whip count: Names of Democrats and likely vote tally.

Last but not least, I'm appealing to God for mercy--even though we don't deserve it.

This is not about denying anyone healthcare; it is about preserving our Republic.


More Reading: Slaughter House Rules, How Democrats may 'deem' ObamaCare into law, without voting.
The House Health-Care Vote and the Constitution
The Slaughter Strategy "Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has the best line: Last year, the House was passing bills without reading them. This year, they’re passing bills without voting on them."

Links: 

Brookfield7, BetterBrookfield, Vicki McKenna, Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, Randy Melchert, Mark Levin, The Heritage Foundation, CNS News, Breitbart BigGovernment