Overide of Farm Bill Veto Stopped by a Clerical Error

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: The Democrat leadership's mismanagement of Congress has scored another negative point. Yesterday, in what the AP called an “embarrassment for Democrats,” they committed a major blunder in handling the farm bill which has thrown the floor schedules in both chambers into chaos. Last night, the House had scheduled a vote on the fiscal 2009 budget and the Senate had been planning to return this morning to vote on the budget and a veto override for the farm bill. However, the House enrolling clerk inadvertently omitted the entire Title III section of the bill after the House and Senate had both passed it but before it was sent to the president. House Parliamentarian John Sullivan advised lawmakers that according to Supreme Court precedents, the flawed enrolled copy of the farm bill would be regarded as the text of what President Bush had vetoed. Now Congress must pass the full farm bill again if they want it to be made into law because simply overriding the president’s veto would enact the bill missing an entire section. Today, the House is expected to both vote again on passing the farm bill and an extension of the current farm bill since the Senate is unlikely to be able to pass the new bill again today.

Considering that Bush vetoed Farm Bill because the bill was laden with too much Congressional Pork and an effort to hide the increase expenditures by instituting a new tax, it is time for voters to tell the Democrat leadership enough is enough. Republicans and blue dog democrats should stand firm in resisting both adding and supporting pork - enough is enough! Taking of other peoples money to fund excessive farm subsidies (some going to members of Congress) and numerous non-related farm pork projects should be stopped. Theft is theft even when done by Congressional bureaucrats. The Democrat leadership has the opportunity to pass a reasonably clean Farm Bill! Republicans and Blue Dogs have a opportunity to act like fiscal conservatives. Will they do so? I am not holding my breath.

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Tags: Blue Dogs, Democrat leadership, Farm bill, House Republicans, mismanagement, Senate Republicans, veto To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!