October 19, 2003

When bill promoters go nuts...

Calpundit has a post referring to the following quite from a Wall Street Journal article. [No link available for the original article that I am aware of.]

House Aviation panel chairman [John] Mica, scrambling to pass a proposal allowing privatization of some air-traffic control towers, tells Republicans he would exempt those in their states in exchange for votes. "I have a bill to pass," he says; the proposal is in a larger bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. Democrats aren't given the same offer: "They want to scuttle the bill," a Mica aide says.
In other words, this guy has a bill he wants to see get passed. He wants it badly enough that if your state's Republican congressmen vote for it, your state may not even have to follow it!

What the hell kind of logic is that? If it's a good law, shouldn't Mica and the congressmen voting for it want to have whatever benefits it offers apply to their state? Talk about up-is-downism! It's almost like a threat - as if Mica is saying "Vote for my bill or your state will be subjected to it." That's just nuts!

Posted by thorswitch at October 19, 2003 08:47 AM | TrackBack


Comments

Thank you for posting this. I will bring it into my Congress class tomorrow as an example of the dangers of one party government and of one party controlling the House for too long.

Posted by: Laura in DC at October 19, 2003 01:23 PM

People must remember you for either the problem you solve for them or the problem you create for them.

Posted by: Ferrah at November 2, 2003 10:09 AM