Constitutional Contempt
At Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Oct. 29th press conference, a CNS News reporter asked, "Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?" Speaker Pelosi responded, "Are you serious? Are you serious?" The reporter said, "Yes, yes, I am." Not responding further, Pelosi shook her head and took a question from another reporter. Later on, Pelosi's press spokesman Nadeam Elshami told CNSNews.com about its question regarding constitutional authority mandating that individual Americans buy health insurance. "You can put this on the record. That is not a serious question. That is not a serious question."
Suppose Congress was debating a mandate outlawing tea-party-type protests and other large gatherings criticizing Congress. A news reporter asks Nancy Pelosi where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to outlaw peaceable assembly. How would you feel if she answered, "Are you serious? Are you serious?" and ignored the question. And what if, later on, someone from her office sent you a press release, as was sent to CNS News, saying that Congress has "broad power to regulate activities that have an effect on interstate commerce," pointing out that demonstrations cause traffic jams and therefore interferes with interstate commerce?
Speaker Pelosi's constitutional contempt, perhaps ignorance, is representative of the majority of members of both the House and the Senate. Their comfort in that ignorance and constitutional contempt, and how readily they articulate it, should be worrisome for every single American. It's not a matter of whether you are for or against Congress' health care proposals. It's not a matter of whether you're liberal or conservative, black or white, male or female, Democrat or Republican or member of any other group. It's a matter of whether we are going to remain a relatively free people or permit the insidious encroachment on our liberties to continue.
Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize Congress to force Americans to buy health insurance? If Congress gets away with forcing us to buy health insurance, down the line, what else will they force us to buy; or do you naively think they will stop with health insurance? We shouldn't think that the cure to Congress' unconstitutional heavy-handedness will end if we only elect Republicans. Republicans have demonstrated nearly as much constitutional contempt as have Democrats. The major difference is the significant escalation of that contempt under today's Democratically controlled Congress and White House with the massive increase in spending, their proposed legislation and the appointment of tyrannical czars to control our lives. It's a safe bet that if and when Republicans take over the Congress and White House, they will not give up the massive increase in control over our lives won by the Democrats.
In each new session of Congress since 1995, John Shadegg, R-Ariz., has introduced the Enumerated Powers Act, a measure "To require Congress to specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws, and for other purposes." The highest number of co-sponsors it has ever had in the House of Representatives is 54 and it has never had co-sponsors in the Senate until this year, when 22 senators signed up. The fact that less than 15 percent of the Congress supports such a measure demonstrates the kind of contempt our elected representatives have for the rules of the game — our Constitution.
If you asked the questions: Which way is our nation heading, tiny steps at a time? Are we headed toward more liberty, or are we headed toward greater government control over our lives? I think the answer is unambiguously the latter — more government control over our lives. Are there any signs on the horizon that the direction is going to change? If we don't see any, we should not be surprised. After all, mankind's standard fare throughout his history, and in most places today, is arbitrary control and abuse by government.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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It is difficult to say when the people lost the protection promised through the US Constitution, but the issue is somewhat academic because it is gone. The issue today is whether the promise can be retrieved through constitutional restoration or only a new revolution can renew the promise. Or it may be that the Imperial Union itself is as obsolete and must collapse so that a more diverse polity can emerge with a renewal of America's revolutionary libertarian aspirations.. 'out of one many' may be the better aspiration.
Comment: #1
Posted by: D. Frank Robinson
Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:52 AM
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Dear Walter Williams. Good Article. Why would politicians want to spend billions of dollars taken from insurance, drug, hospitals and the small business owners, to run for an office that pays $200,000.00 -? Let me start by saying "Nancy Pelosi" is no lady and her babbling on and on, jumping up and down, like she feels she's really doing something good, makes Taxpayers want to scream for her to 'SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!' Politicians, like her, Reid, Rangel, Dodd, Frank, Hagan, (just to name a few) favorite words for "I'll check on this and get back to you" tells Taxpayers 'they truly have far TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS, THEY KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, AND THEY ARE 'CYAING' just to make you think their 'HIGH-DOLLARED SALARIES & RETIREMENTS' are justified! I mean, really, after six (6) decades working on Healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid, you'd think these 'government programs' would be full of money, instead of bankrupt, wouldn't you?
Insurance and Drug companies, medical pros, small business owners are going to have to 'CUT THE BILLIONS GIVEN TO POLTICIANS', and return several billion to Insured and consumers that's paid, legally, for their services, while the politicians 'TAKE, TAKE, AND TAKE' and give Taxpayers 'ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BACK BUT A BANKRUPT AMERICA, NO JOBS, NO FOOD, NO NOTHING!'
The lawyers line up in a group lawsuit when a drug has 'sort of' caused harm to someone, but, yet, they're letting the politicians slide. Well, Taxpayers, get in line and start demanding your money back from the insurance and drug companies, as IT'S YOUR MONEY, NOT THE POLITICIANS! THE POLITICIANS SHOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO 'TAKE A RED CENT' FROM ANY DRUG, INSURANCE, HOSPITAL, MED PERSON OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNER! AREN'T PONZI SCHEMES ILLEGAL?
‘Lying' supposedly will get politicians impeached , then why hasn't ninety-five percent of
politicians been impeached, sell them a one-way ticket to Gitmo, take all their assets to pay off the
trillions they've borrowed without Taxpayers consent? Six decades later and America is bankrupt
with these ‘corrupt, greedy, lying bunch of ‘blood-sucking ticks', still in office, still drawing big
salaries and retirements, working on the same ‘programs/ healthcare' for years. They have nothing
better to do to justify the bigs bucks they steal from Taxpayers, as it's obvious none of them know
what they're doing nor care. This is why their favorite saying is “I'll check on this and get back to
you!” This brings another thought to Taxpayers minds, if the Insurance, Drug companies,
Hospitals, and Medical professionals stop ‘paying the politicians to run for office, maybe the
‘Politicians License to Steal' will come to a screeching halt!
Politicians take billions from insurance, drug companies, healthcare professionals and what few
businesses are left. This is why Taxpayers can't afford insurance, hospitals, let alone medications.
Passing of Healthcare is another POWER GRAB and will finish bankrupting America. Fraud and
bankrupting of social security, medicare and medicaid should tells folks that government run
programs have never worked for Taxpayers, just for Politicians!
Insurance and Drug companies should give their insured, that's paid them big bucks for years, all
their money back. Folks, the Taxpayer that's paid $200.00 to $750.00 monthly, would be entitled to
several million for each person. Just think, we wouldn't need them at all! What fools we've been
letting these ‘blood-sucking ticks' tell us that ‘Taxpayers have to spread the wealth around!'
Where is politicians ‘wealth they're spreading around?'
Why would politicians want to spend billions of dollars taken from insurance, drug, hospitals and
the small business owners, to run for an office that pays $200,000.00 -?
Comment: #2
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:43 PM
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