When I hear people say that our political process is broken due
to the aftershock of the near-deficit crisis, I think these people do not get
the point of Congress. Congress’ job is not to put a rubber stamp on whatever
any President wishes, as the media would have you believe. How many articles
were written on how the law was passed and the Supreme Court upheld it? The
kicker is, it does not matter. The point of having a Congress is to debate
things. If a law is passed, does that mean we should not go back to review it and
possibly revise or repeal it? No. I am not saying I support or oppose the
Healthcare bill because quite frankly, I think nobody fully understands it. The
issue that I have is that folks believe that the GOP had no right to challenge the
law by “holding America hostage.” Well the Constitution disagrees with that
statement,
“All Bills for raising Revenue shall
originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur
with amendments as on other Bills.”
— U.S.
Constitution, Article I, section 7, clause 1.
What I am saying is, without ‘picking
sides,’ is that it was well within the right of the Republican controlled House
of Representatives to do what they did. The power of the purse is a powerful concept,
something we have gotten away from in the 20th and 21st
Century where we have seen the size and scope of the Executive Branch grow
exponentially. This separation of powers is vital; a healthy debate on funding
is the difference between a healthy republic and a banana republic
(dictatorship).
