I didn’t realize they were this desperate. The same federal lawmakers who can’t figure out how to pass a federal budget have decided to take up several constitutional amendments between now and the end of the session.
It’s a sad but predictable desperation ploy — when in doubt, promise to tinker with the Constitution. It fires up the far-right base, drives liberals crazy, and generates some press attention for “culture war” issues that the GOP likes to use as an election-year wedge.
Over the next couple of months, Congress is poised to hold votes on three — count ’em, three — amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Bush is on record supporting all of the proposed amendments.
The ridiculous Balanced Budget Amendment (H.J. Res. 22), for example, is on its way to the House floor. Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Okla.), usually known for pushing a school prayer amendment who is now championing this cause, has been promised a floor vote sometime “in the summer.” It passed the Judiciary Committee in May and already has 127 co-sponsors, most of whom have voted for reckless fiscal policies that have led to the largest deficits in U.S. history.
We can also expect progress sometime soon on the offensive “Federal Marriage Amendment (H.J. Res. 56); its sponsors are demanding a vote before the election.
While Senate Republican Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (Pa.) acknowledged that supporters of the ban don’t have the 67 votes needed to send the measure to the states for ratification, he vowed to force a vote on the issue before the election, to compel Senators to take a position on the issue.
“I intend to work very hard to get a vote,” Santorum said. “I have made it clear that is my desire and I believe the Senate should go on the record.”
And what would a culture war be if the GOP wasn’t trying to outlaw flag-burning?
A Senate subcommittee approved a constitutional amendment yesterday that would allow Congress to take steps to protect the U.S. flag from desecration.
The bill is S.J. Res. 4, championed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, and it has a surprisingly high 54 co-sponsors — including every member of the GOP caucus accept Linc Chaffee (R.I.).
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, has so far led the opposition, which is pretty courageous in an election year. (And isn’t it sad that defense of the First Amendment has to be considered “courageous” in the 21st century?)
“We are talking here today about amending the Constitution of the United States to permit the government to criminalize conduct that, however misguided and wrong, is clearly expressive, and sometimes undertaken as a form of political protest. I cannot support this course,” said Feingold.
The House version, H.J. Res. 4, could also see movement this year. It has 213 co-sponsors and has already passed the House Judiciary Committee.
Even if the Senate bill does reach the floor before adjournment — the first Senate vote on flag-burning since 2000 — it’s unlikely to get to 67 votes.
But the fact that such a vote would even take place is offensive enough.