The House voted today to limit debate and prevent any discussion of amendments to the bill. This effectively killed all debates to the bill that could have limited its negative effects. It was a 7-4 vote, with seven of the nine Republicans voting for it, and all four Democrats opposed. I still have no idea why the committee is 9-4 in favor of Republican membership, it seems like such an extreme ratio.
Here is an explanation of how the House works these days, from The Hammer, a biography of Tom DeLay:
"Only when a majority of the committee completes a draft is a bill brought to the full committee for a formal vote that usually divides along party lines. Gone are the floor debate and the long days of making law in the House chamber. Most Americans don't know that the House now meets only two days a week, doesn't debate, and disposes of legislation in rolling votes, in which long lines of unrelated bills are rolled for up and down votes with an efficiency rarely achieved by O'Hare Airport air traffic controllers. Bills are brought to the floor under closed rules, or amended closed rules, which allow no amendments and only an up or down vote. The committee system, floor debate, bipartisan collaboration, social relations across party lines--all are as dated as the brass spittoons that once graced the members' lounges."
Here's a daily kos diary from Rep. Louise Slaughter, one of the members of the Rules Committee, with more information about the vote and the bill.
Time's running out to call your rep. Please do so, even just to protest.
Posted by tunesmith at April 13, 2005 04:28 PM
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In terms of the limited time for this Bill, lets not forget that it has been 9 years in the making - I'm gonna guess that everyone voting on it is pretty decided before they even walk into that room.
Posted by: Kyan at April 14, 2005 08:08 AM
Just limit, at the state level, any individual from obtaining limited liability via various forms of incorporation. If one class of folks can now be slaves then it is only fair that we should all be potential slaves. To survive attack on commerce clause grounds we need only make it fully applicable to all entities regardless of whether they are incorporated in Oregon or not.
Imagine a bankruptcy judge in Oregon having to bring in all the real parties in interest into any proceeding involving a dispute between a company and an individual, or where a company seeks the protection of bankruptcy. It ought make one cry with glee at the value of state's rights and the availability of the initiative process.
This would be no more radical than reintroducing slavery.
Posted by: Ron Ledbury at April 14, 2005 12:10 PM
looks like the fine congressman of this great nation plan on debating this bill for a whopping 30 minutes, which is less than the time it takes to properly reheat a Stouffer's frozen lasagne.
saw this on TPM: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/bankruptcy/archives/2005/04/index.php#005432.
As you brought up in an earlier post, David Wu (D - Oregon), who barely escaped last November, needs to clarify his exact position on this bill.
Posted by: nova silverpill at April 13, 2005 10:25 PM