Walsh to Pelosi: Don’t Circumvent the Constitution

Posted by Team Walsh - Wed, March 17, 2010 at 04:32 PM

Today Dana called upon Speaker Nancy Pelosi to uphold our Constitution in working to pass health care reform.
 
"In her lust to pass healthcare legislation, Speaker Pelosi has been threatening to pass the bill without a vote causing nothing short of a Constitutional crisis. As a member of Congress and Speaker of the House, it is her responsibility to protect and defend the constitution, not toss it aside for partisan politics," said Walsh. "Has she forgotten her oath of office?"
 
This week Speaker Pelosi has been twisting arms in attempt to pass the Senate's version of health care reform.  Being shy 5 votes, the Speaker is now considering a new tactic of "deeming" the health care to be passed. The procedural maneuver is known as the "self-executing rule" and has never been used to pass a bill of this magnitude.
 
"Whether you are for or against this health care legislation, I believe that our nation can come together in one voice to say that our constitution should not be sacrificed," said Walsh.
 
In 1998 the United State Supreme Court ruled that each house of Congress must approve the same exact language of a bill before it can be enacted into law. If Pelosi persists with the deeming maneuver, this unconstitutional health care law will end up in a long legal battle costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
 
"This type of political gamesmanship is undermining the faith of the American people in their system of government. Pelosi, who promised to clean up the swamp, will be the chief culprit in putting the final nail in the coffin of good government," said Walsh. "Let this legislation be decided on its merits rather than backroom deals, legislative maneuvers and the courts."