The Hastert Rule is constitutional? Really? It removes the 'representation' out of a Representative Democracy. Tom DeLay spawned the The Hastert Rule. That should be corrupt enough to get rid of it.
The Hastert Rule: (click here) Initiated by former Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert and so far adhered to by Speaker Boehner, it says that no bill will be put to a floor vote unless it has the support of the majority of the House Republican Caucus. The rule, the brainchild of the ‘take no prisoners’ former House Majority Leader Tom “the Hammer” DeLay, was a result of right wing anger at former Speaker Newt Gingrich for cutting deals with President Clinton in which compromise legislation would pass the House with a relatively even mix of Democratic and Republican votes. In order to reach an agreement to avoid the consequences of going off the fiscal cliff---a tax increase for most Americans and big cuts in defense spending and discretionary domestic spending--Speaker Boehner will be under increasing pressure to do away with the Hastert rule or to at least suspend it. It is likely that the broad compromise nearly agreed to by the President and Speaker Boehner that included raising taxes on people who earn $400,000 and above and some retiree entitlement reform could pass the House of Representatives, but it may not be able to garner a majority vote of House Republicans.
This is as bad as the filibuster. I think it might be worse, but, it ranks right up there.
That is right wing political partisan demand of the USA Constitution, there is suppose to be a majority of the votes to pass a bill. This is a political strategy impaling our democracy.
Is this from the Bush years?
The Hastert Rule nullifies the elections. It removes the right of the MAJORITY represented by both parties to carry out the "Will of the People." This is outrageous.
There is an entire Electoral College that determines the outcome of Presidential Elections. The representatives of the Electoral College reflects the will of the people of this country for the Executive Branch. What gives the House majority the right to remove the will of the people from the authority of the voter?
The Hastert Rule is corruption through and through. What kind of people are we dealing with? They are not the least bit interested in our democracy, they are interested in control of the power of this country. The representation of the people is being removed by this House rule. It needs to stop. There has to be a way in which these rules can be proven to be an attack against our democracy. At the very least, the ethical process has to address those that seek to undermine the rights of the voters of the USA.
This is hideous. It is destroying the authority of the people. "We the people..." Hello?
