HOUSE REPS SUE BUSH ADMIN FOR SIGNING BILL THAT DIDN'T PASS CONGRESS!

[BradBlog]

BREAKING: HOUSE MEMBERS FILE SUIT AGAINST BUSH ADMINSTRATION TO HALT IMPLEMENTATION OF BILL SIGNED THAT DID NOT PASS BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS!

EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Complete lawsuit, Timeline from House Members...

11 ranking Members of the United States House of Representatives will be filing a law suit in U.S. District court on Friday, The BRAD BLOG has learned, seeking a permanent injunction of "Deficit Reduction Act" which George W. Bush signed into law on February 8th of this year, despite its not having passed both houses of Congress.

The BRAD BLOG has obtained an exclusive copy of the suit to be filed tomorrow by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and 10 other Democratic law makers, as well as a timeline of the events in the matter as compiled by the House members. Both may be downloaded in full at the link below.

"On February, 8 at 3:43 p.m.," the complaint alleges, Bush signed a bill that "never was passed by the United States House of Representatives."

The difference in the language of the House and Senate bills, is a clause requiring Medicare to cover rent for "certain durable medical equipment." The version of the bill pased by the House requires payments for 36 months. The Senate version requires payments for only 13 months.

The difference in the cost of the federal outlays for the two different versions is said to be approximately $2 billion.

The two houses of Congress were never able to pass a joint version of the bill, and yet, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and President Pro Tem of the United States Senate, Ted Stevens (R-AK), "signed a statement attesting that the bill signed by the President had been passed by both the United States House and the United States Senate."

"Once again the Administration is playing fast and loose with the Constitution," Conyers says in a Press Release (posted in full at the link below).

"Anyone who has passed the sixth grade knows that before a bill can become a law, both Houses of Congress must approve it. That the Bush Administration is now saying otherwise underscores the Constitutional crisis we are facing in this country."

Several other members were equally clear in the press release which excoriates the Bush Administration for yet another Constitutional transgression.

Says Rep. Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee in the release: "Time and time again the President has sought to discard the Constitution as if it were an old shoe."

Congressman Charles Rangel, Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee is quoted as saying, "the Constitution is clear -- legislation signed by the President must be passed by both the House and the Senate. In allowing the President to sign a bill that was not passed by the House, Congressional Republicans made a mockery of the legislative process."...

FULL STORY, COMPLETE COMPLAINT, TIMELINE & PRESS RELEASE FROM HOUSE MEMBERS:
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002743.htm


---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.com
VELVET REVOLUTION - The revolution begins...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us

[Steve A Play]

1. Why in hell did they decide to do it on a Friday?

If you're trying to get an important message out to the public, you do it early in the week. If you're trying to bury a story, you do it during the Friday afternoon 'news dump'.

Well good for them anyway! :)

[Catch22Dem]

7. Today's Thursday

Isn't it?

[William769]

2. One question

If this is true why isn't it being reported in the MSM?

[rodeodance]

5. I have read several articles on this subject last few months.

[BradBlog]

11. One answer...

It *is* being reported by the MSM. We just (as usual) beat 'em to it at BRAD BLOG :-)

AP:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060427/ap_on_go_co/budget_lawsuit_1

ABC:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1898817&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

The NY Times will have it in tomorrow's edition (posted online this evening).

Brad

[William769]

14. Thanks!

The only reason I asked was this is news to me.

[BradBlog]

25. You're Welcome!

And that's why it was posted on BRAD BLOG (cuz it's news to you!)

Brad

[aquart]

27. Because what Democrats do does not count.

[ninkasi]

3. Wow!

Conyers is again fighting to protect the Constitution. This is great news...it's high time somebody stopped the Bush administration's power grab, and hold him to the law.

[rodeodance]

4. this complaint has been ignored for months. Whow--whow whow

[MsKandice01]

6. Once again, Conyers is standing up...

Give em hell, John!

[Zhade]

28. Conyers speaks for me!

This is a very dangerous precedent that must be stopped. Hate to say it, but didn't the NAZI party do something similar? You know, just making up laws?

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Maybe they teach things differently in private school?

[Judi Lynn]

9. We can look for attempts to slander Conyers all over again.

Look for reruns of "Mrs. Conyers Smacks a Drunk in a Bar," and "John Conyers Asked Employee to Babysit." We've already been treated to two runs of the first story, while ~~~ someone ~~~ had to dredge up the second one from years ago.

Maybe they'll combine them, for variety.

This is a remarkable story. Conyers is making his presence known. It appears he may be the only one willing to stick his neck out to this degree.

He's going to need to remember not to take a private plane anywhere for a very long time.

[Canuckistanian]

23. Oh, big time

Although I have a feeling that the slander started in the first place because they knew something was coming...

[jazzjunkysue]

10. ..."The Dems Never Do Anything..." Go, Johnny, Go Go Go!!!!

Godsspeed, your honor. Godsspeed.

[Rex]

12. That was a stupid move by the GOPers.

In the private sector that magnitude of fuck-up would mean a pink-slip for everyone involved. I knew that Hastert was a dirty bird. So did they just break the law as well as Bush? Hope they see a lot of jail time before this is all over.

GO CONYERS! A REAL STATESMEN; WAKE UP AND TAKE NOTE!

[Disturbed]

13. Next Lawsuit on Busholini must be...

Illegal Spying.

[magellan]

15. I love John Conyers

He is one of the rare few on the Hill who has his head on straight and still cares about the laws set down by the founding document of this land.

Bush** can go to hell. And I hope he does.

[Canuckistanian]

16. Was this a surprise move?

Did anyone ever have any inkling that this was going to happen or did they do a superb job of keeping it quiet until now?

I and many others here recognized that having the President sign a bill that hadn't properly passed both houses was HUGE.

Good to see that Conyers and others are eternally vigilant about THE CONSTITUTION in it's proper observance and application.

Way to go, Conyers!

:yourock:

[Rose Siding]

17. They had to do it, really

As it is, anyone the law affected has standing to sue. You can't implement or enforce a law like that. It was absurd for repubs not to have cleared this up.

There's a Hill article here that began to define the legal ramifications-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=724111

[Canuckistanian]

18. Yes, I remember this

I think it was Waxman's letter that signalled the Democrat's objections.

But I never imagined it would lead to an actual lawsuit.

[Oversea Visitor]

19. There is only one way

RECALL.
The people must step up to the task
RECALL
Both Senators
And the president

Better still
RECALL any one that is not doing their job as set up by the people.

[Janice325]

20. I wish the msm had used more of the Brad Blog story.

I think it's much more detailed and explains the "whole story" better than the current AP article listed.
Thanks so much for posting this, Brad.
k&r

[Tigress DEM]

21. Liar! buomp buomp buomp, buomp buomp bump! Huh!

(To the tune of that 70's song FIRE!)

Isn't that what you call a person who signs a statement saying something is something that it is not? Like when they say the Senate Bill is the "same" as the House Bill.

Looks like these guys need to go back to Highlights for Children or Sesame Street reruns and learn when one of these things is just like the other and when it's NOT.

[Karmakaze]

22. As far as I am concerned...

The US is now a dictatorship. Seriously, this is not some political shenanigans, but a blow to the very foundation of American government. The Republican leadership and Bush have basically said that congress doesnt exist, and laws are what THEY decide them to be.

With this and the signing notes (or whatever they are called) that Bush has been adding that say he is pretty much going to ignore the law as it is presented, the foundation of American democracy has crumbled. What is the point of even HAVING a congress, if the Republican leadership can make up any law they want, or refuse to enforce any law they disagree with?

Remember, this is a real slap in the face to democracy, because it is clear that even some from their own party were against this bill as it was presented to Bush. They shouldnt have needed to do this, unless they didnt actually have the votes to get it passed. So a law must have been made that was voted AGAINST by the majority.

Americans should be marching in the streets, and I am not just blowing smoke. This is serious. Even if the lawsuit succeeds, this is clear evidence that the Republicans do not care about the law, so who says they will accept the judgment?

[Canuckistanian]

24. Yup, that's what I was saying

Back when Waxman's letter came out about this. I thought it was huge at the time, but then nothing happened.

Until now.

[54anickel]

26. "Business-school view of law:

Rules are not designed to guide behavior but laid down to define the limits of unpunished conduct."


I borrowed that line from an article called "The Predator State"
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2006/05/predator_state.html

[AbbyR]

29. This is great -

I just hope it will get a fair hearing from our right-leaning Supreme Court, if and when it gets there.

[katty]

30. been following this--finally!!

[Bitter Cup]

31. If I'm reading this right, a failure to roll this back is LITERALLY

an end to even a pretense of our Democratic System. It'll be the equivalent of saying "Because I said so" governing by the Executive branch and the Republican party.

They appear to dare anything, in fact the bigger the better. What was it Hitler said about people more easily believing the BIG LIE? Guess they've decided that is the best road to take.

[Generator]

32. Yep

Welcome to DU! I read about this awhile ago on DU. I mention little things like this to my husband and he is amazed and starts to understand why I'm over the bend. These times are beyond the beyond. No, you are not imagining. It is THAT bad.

[IDemo]

33. "Anyone who has passed the sixth grade.."

"Anyone who has passed the sixth grade knows that before a bill can become a law, both Houses of Congress must approve it."

Right there's your problem.