Still under the impression this is a democratic republic? Watch this video interchange on the House floor for further clarification.
“Why were the rules rigged to keep the government shut down?” Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) asked Speaker Pro Tempore Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).
Here’s what Rep. Van Hollen had to say about the interchange:
Late in the evening on September 30, 2013, the House Rules Committee Republicans changed the Rules of the House so that the ONLY Member allowed to call up the Senate’s clean CR for a vote was Majority Leader Eric Cantor or his designee — all but guaranteeing the government would shut down a few hours later and would stay shut down. Previously, any Member would have had the right to bring the CR up for a vote. Democracy has been suspended in the House of Representatives.
Putting all the cards in one person’s hands would ensure the government would stay shut down.
It isn’t just Republicans; when Democrats were in the House majority, they also made rule changes to keep the minority from controlling the floor. Sort of makes the whole thing seem a lot less, well, democratic, that they can just do that, doesn’t it?
With less than two days to go until the debt limit is reached, a potential government default, and the USDA sending notices to freeze EBT food stamp card payments, the hour is certainly getting very late in America.
