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HR 50 The No Paychecks for Incompetent Leaders Act
Topic Started: 9 Jun 2013, 10:02 PM (217 Views)
Heather Holson
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48 hours of debate

Quote:
 
In the House of Representatives of the United States of America, Rep. Malcolmson and Rep. Terrus, for themselves, Rep. Callaghan, Rep. Levy, and Rep King., offer: A Bill To prevent government shutdowns; Be it Enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate of the United States in Congress assembled, that;

Section 1. Short Title, Effect.

(a) This bill shall be cited as the Government Shutdown Prevention Act.

(b) This bill shall take effect upon its enactment.

Section 2. Preventing Government Shutdowns.

(a) Definition -- For the purposes of this act, a "government shutdown," occurs whenever the Congress fails to enact a budget for any department, agency, or unit of the federal government for a fiscal year, unless the Congress passes a concurrent resolution indicating the desire of the Congress to defund that agency.

(b) Initial Vote -- Whenever a government shutdown occurs, each House of Congress shall within 48 hours hold a simple, up-or-down vote on the President's proposed budget for the department(s), agency or agencies, or unit(s) of the federal government that shut down.

(c) Constant Debate -- Each House of Congress shall provide, through the passage of a rules resolution, for a procedure for considering proposals for the funding of a shutdown department, agency, or unit if the vote provided for in subsection (b) fails to terminate such shutdown, provided that these rules shall require:
(1) each House of Congress to remain in session, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the termination of that shutdown; and
(2) each House of Congress shall consider budgetary proposals made during this continual session by a simple, up-or-down vote.

Section 3 Enactment

This bill shall be enacted upon its constitutional passage.
Edited by Heather Holson, 11 Jun 2013, 06:51 PM.
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Ambrose Griffith
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Madame Speaker,

This proposal is nothing more than a populist politically-motivated sabre-rattle. It is an overly simplistic look at a rather complicated budget procedure which involved several parties, not just elected representatives, and, on occasion, can be stalled by any part of that process, not simply what the bill's author described as incompetent leadership.

I yield.
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Terrus


Madame Speaker.

I rise in opposition to this legislation for several reasons. First, I fail to see the purpose of this bill, which is unlikely to change anything here in Washington since most members of Congress can easily survive without pay. Second, I fail to see why we should make it harder for individuals that are not wealthy to serve in Congress by making it so that they cannot be certain they will be compensated regularly. Third, I fail to see why we would encourage corruption by reducing congressional pay. Fourth, I fail to see why we would hold Congress but not the President accountable for government shutdowns.

I recognize that many in this chamber will champion this legislation merely to seem "hard on politicians," and so hoping for its defeat is non-sensical. With that in mind, I rise to offer three amendments, each of which I think could actually address this issue.

Amendment #1. Inclusion of President.
If nothing else, I ask the members of this assembly to join me in demanding that the President be held responsible in addition to the Congress. With this in mind, I move to amend such that Section 3 reads as follows:

"Compensation for the President of the United States and the members of the Congress of the United States shall be suspended during any shutdown of the federal government."

Amendment #2 Eliminating Obstacles to Budget Enactment.
Cutting off pay for the members of Congress is unlikely to impact the budgetary debate if the vast majority of the members of Congress prefer the enactment of the budget, but cannot bring it about for procedural reasons. With that in mind, I move to amend this act such that it reads as indicated below, noting that I wish for my first amendment to be withdrawn if this amendment passes.

Quote:
 
In the House of Representatives of the United States of America, Rep. Malcolmson and Rep. Terrus, for themselves, Rep. Callaghan, Rep. Levy, and Rep King., offer: A Bill To prevent government shutdowns; Be it Enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate of the United States in Congress assembled, that;

Section 1. Short Title, Effect.

(a) This bill shall be cited as the Government Shutdown Prevention Act.

(b) This bill shall take effect upon its enactment.

Section 2. Preventing Government Shutdowns.

(a) Definition -- For the purposes of this act, a "government shutdown," occurs whenever the Congress fails to enact a budget for any department, agency, or unit of the federal government for a fiscal year, unless the Congress passes a concurrent resolution indicating the desire of the Congress to defund that agency.

(b) Initial Vote -- Whenever a government shutdown occurs, each House of Congress shall within 48 hours hold a simple, up-or-down vote on the President's proposed budget for the department(s), agency or agencies, or unit(s) of the federal government that shut down.

(c) Constant Debate -- Each House of Congress shall provide, through the passage of a rules resolution, for a procedure for considering proposals for the funding of a shutdown department, agency, or unit if the vote provided for in subsection (b) fails to terminate such shutdown, provided that these rules shall require:
(1) each House of Congress to remain in session, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the termination of that shutdown; and
(2) each House of Congress shall consider budgetary proposals made during this continual session by a simple, up-or-down vote.


I yield.
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Landry
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Winter is Coming to the Red States
Madam Speaker,

I second the amendments offered by my dear friend from Michigan, and I yield.
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Heather Holson
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The motion to amend is recognized and properly seconded. 24 hours for voting.
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Landry
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Winter is Coming to the Red States
Yea on both
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Nick
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Aye on Both.
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JMJ
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Aye on both
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tal
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Old Man In The Mountain
Aye on both.
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Ambrose Griffith
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Aye on both
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Terrus


Present on first.

Yea on second.
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Brewer
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The GOP's Favorite Leech
Aye on both.
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David Thompson
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Aye on both
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peter
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Lucas for President: Take Back America!
Aye on 1
Nay on 2
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Vissering
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I'm radioactive.
Aye on both.
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Patrick Callaghan
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New England Republican >:D
Aye on both
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FairBol
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American Patriot, & DJ
Aye on Terrus 1
Nay on Terrus 2
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Daniel Hernandez
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Wielder of the Gavel
Rick Thomas

Aye on Terrus 1
Nay on Terrus 2
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Brenninger
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#Swaggy
Aye on both
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TheJohnson
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Point of Order

That amendment is clearly non-germane as it changes the whole meaning and text of the bill presented for debate.
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