(H/T - Michelle Malkin)
Some of you may remember my post on H.R. 1388 a few days ago.
Well, it turns out that it has not only passed both House and Senate, but has even been re-named to honor Ted "swimmer" Kennedy.
(apparently, Orrin Hatch thought it would make a nice present)
Now, while all of the parts that tie "Volunteer Requirements" to "grants" remained in 1388 - they did remove something before getting the abomination passed.
Between being first officially "reported" to the House and being voted on by the full House, bill managers stripped one whole section of the measure that created a Congressional Commission on Civil Service, thus removing the section that contained the language cited above concerning "a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people" and a possible requirement for "all individuals in the United States" to perform such service. The section could be restored during the Senate-House conference committee meeting.
A new, separate bill containing that language has since been introduced in the House.
Did you hear your internal reading-voice deepen on that last sentence?
"A new, separate bill containing that language..."
That's a polite way to put it - but how about this instead:
The whole section was lifted - in its word-for-word entirety - and reintroduced as if it were a brand-spanking-new piece of legislation, rather than the unendurable, cast-off by-blow that it really is.
Behold!
H.R. 1444: Congressional Commission on Civic Service Act
Identical in every single way to the 1388 text - they didn't even rearrange the section numbers:
(5) The effect on the Nation, on those who serve, and on the families of those who serve, if all individuals in the United States were expected to perform national service or were required to perform a certain amount of national service.
(6) Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.
And make no mistake - both laws being passed will have exactly the same effect as if it had remained one law, their details, intent and design so neatly dovetailling the way they do.
(what a coincidence!)
There is one significant difference, though.
Apparently out of gratitude for having 1388 named after him, Ted Kennedy actually put his name on 1444.
1388 is enough to light-torches-and-raise-pitchforks over, but at least it still uses the grant-money-carrot to lure you in.
1444 sets up "Mandatory" for everyone.
H.R. 1444 - Because Freedoms lost to the Collective come more easily in smaller bites.
- MuscleDaddy
26 comments:
We reserve the right to delete comments, but the failure to delete any particular comment should not be interpreted as an endorsement thereof.
In general, we expect comments to be relevant to the story, or to a prior comment that is relevant; and we expect some minimal level of civility. Defining that line is inherently subjective, so try to stay clear of insulting remarks. If you respond to a comment that is later deleted, we may take your response with it. Deleting your comment isn't a personal knock on you, so don't take it as such.
We allow a variety of ways for commenters to identify themselves; those who choose not to do so should take extra care. Absent any prior context in which they may be understood, ironic comments may be misinterpreted. Once you've earned a reputation for contributing to a conversation, we are likely to be more tolerant in those gray areas, as we'll understand where you're coming from.