Congressman: "I don't worry about the Constitution "

This clown has no idea what the Constitution even says, and yet he has the power to vote for laws that effect the entire nation.

A retarded rock has more intelligence than this clown, and the sad part is Congress is filled with morons just like him.

Source and Transcript

In his rebuttal video, he says the Constitution is very near and dear to him, yet he has no idea what it even says

[edit on 2-4-2010 by brainwrek]

Good video. I agree that there should be a right to life, liberty, and property. That right to life includes health care. Now that said, a health care plan that benefits insurance company middlemen first, hospitals and doctors second, and the PEOPLE third...is not within the confines of the Constitution in my opinion.

I want to see a health care plan that benefits the people first.

Kind of says it all right there. Sad thing is this guy will probably be re elected because people don't care enough to research how their reps voted and what their beliefs are. I'm sure the same thing has been said by most in office right now, hell Obama doesn't worry about it either, why should they?

reply to post by ExPostFacto


Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness isnt in the Constitution, thats the Declaration of Independence.

Incidentally, that phrase conveys no power to the government.

reply to post by brainwrek


You are right; however, the Declaration of Independence is very much a guiding point of the Constitution. The General Welfare clause of the Constitution is guided by the decrees set forth by the Declaration of Independence. What is considered General Welfare, what is considered appropriate to legislate or regulate are defined by the right to life, liberty, and property. The governments only role is securing those decrees through the Constitutional methods outlined within the scope of their enumerated powers.

reply to post by ExPostFacto


Actually the GW clause refers to the general welfare of the nation, not the individual.

Congress has no power to relieve the suffering of the individual. That is not a federal concern.

Freakin awesome man! I love it.

This just shows their arrogance. S&F

reply to post by brainwrek


They eliminate the suffering of an individual by regulating those issues that effect all of us. They don't legislate issues that are not effecting all of us. Those individual concerns are supposed to be retained by the states or the people. So I agree with what you are saying and I understand where you are coming from. Life, Liberty, and property are things all of us are entitled to fairness and attention by the federal government. The degree to which these are regulated I can agree with you. As far as health care, why not just have a basic minimum coverage plan that all insurance companies must comply with in order to do business. An approach such as this would require only a baseline standard and still allow the public sector to arrange their business affairs accordingly.

reply to post by ExPostFacto


Because health insurance, like many other issues the feds stick their noses into, is a state matter, not a federal one.

The Constutution doesnt delegate the power to the federal government to mandate that private citizens must buy a certain product or service, nor does it delegate any authority to use public funds to subsidze such expenditures.

"If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but
an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions." - James Madison, 1792

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." - Thomas Jefferson, 1798


[edit on 2-4-2010 by brainwrek]

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
Good video. I agree that there should be a right to life, liberty, and property. That right to life includes health care. Now that said, a health care plan that benefits insurance company middlemen first, hospitals and doctors second, and the PEOPLE third...is not within the confines of the Constitution in my opinion.

I want to see a health care plan that benefits the people first.

If the right to life includes healthcare, that must mean I have a right to put a gun to your head and make you work for my dental work.

Sorry buddy, but rights don't revolve around forcing other people to work for you.

They revolve around being free.

reply to post by mnemeth1


Hey buddy are you threatening me with a hypothetical scenario? Your example is fairly extreme. Suppose I beat you to a pulp everyday until you give me money for health care? Really...you see how that comes off?

On topic though. Powers that are enumerated are the general welfare. If we can't define what those are specifically (give me some answers) then we can assume they have to do with life, liberty, and property rights.

This speaks volumes about how much they really know about what they sign in Congress... sad, sad, and sad.

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
reply to post by mnemeth1

 

Hey buddy are you threatening me with a hypothetical scenario? Your example is fairly extreme. Suppose I beat you to a pulp everyday until you give me money for health care? Really...you see how that comes off?

On topic though. Powers that are enumerated are the general welfare. If we can't define what those are specifically (give me some answers) then we can assume they have to do with life, liberty, and property rights.

Those enumerated in Article 1 Section 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

Maybe I am missing what you are saying but general welfare is listed in there the first priority of the government. I think we actually agree on most of what the enumerated powers are. It says that whatever the general welfare is it must be applied to all states in a uniform way. I agree that the general welfare clause has been over interpreted and certainly the health care bill does not match the criteria. However, I would have to dispute that any general welfare health care plan initiated by the government wouldn't be against the General Welfare clause.

Can you tell me exactly what is or is not a general welfare item? Not to dispute this with you, but so we can learn more about what was meant by general welfare.

reply to post by mnemeth1

If the right to life includes healthcare, that must mean I have a right to put a gun to your head and make you work for my dental work.

Hey! Isn't that what Fascist anarchists believe? If you have the power, you have the freedom? That pretty much sums up anarchy right?

Anarchy, no government, no laws, so if one has the power, I.E. a gun, one, according to the dictates of anarchy, could force a dentist at gunpoint to work on a person's teeth.

Of course that would be ok in the world run by anarchists, because well, there aren't any laws. Just the law of the jungle, might makes right etc.



Nice, we have a bunch of people cornering and berating a congressman about healthcare, and the guy gets frustrated with them. No one has thought, "Hey, he's human, and when backed into a corner being drilled by two or three people at once, one might not say everything perfectly the way they would normally in polite conversation."

The truth is... Not all states require car, life, and flood insurance... and good thing they don't. Because not everyone needs these things. They are perks in human life and we are all lucky if we can work hard and be able to afford them. Most humans will never have any insurance. I know it's sad.

What makes health insurance any different?

Health Reform is one thing... Making an individual require something to live a normal life is up to the state, and the individual has a choice to move elsewhere if he doesn't like the states practices.

Federally mandated health insurance is an obvious step on our rights as human beings. Much like the Patriot Act. Only this one MAKES MONEY!~ You don't sacrifice anyone's rights for the greater good. Remember when Hitler tried to play that game? It leads down a dark road... or maybe a yellow brick road... Either way were not in Kansas anymore, and this is all old news now... SURPRISE THEY GOT US ALL DID YOU THINK THEY WOULDN'T!~

Hold on tight... there's no place like home... there's no place like home... there's no place like home...

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
That right to life includes health care.

Where did you get that wacky idea? This is why our country is going down the tubes. That is not an idea presented in the bill of rights and the U.S constitution. Only by perverting those documents can you say that....

reply to post by SmokeandShadow


How is health care not related to life? That is not a perversion. Health of the people in a nation is very much related to life. Could you agree that companies dumping toxins into water would destroy a persons health or life in general? I don't think it's a stretch to say health is linked to life at all.

reply to post by ExPostFacto


Lets look at the one of quotes I posted above.

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." - Thomas Jefferson, 1798


Now, only those 18 powers specifically enumerated would qualify as being for the general welfare. Security is covered, as is transportation, the advancement of science, etc etc.


Here is yet another quote that will put the GW in proper perspective:

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." - James Madison criticizing an attempt to grant public monies for charitable means, 1794

Among other things besides health insurance, education is not listed, hence the federal government has no constitutional authorization to be involved in education, yet they still manage to stick their nose into it, thereby screwing it up for everyone.

The federal government wipes its ass with the Constitution, this is just another example of it.

So they make a bill to to address the issue of health INSURANCE...If he is so worried about the people, like the hypothetical ones he refers to, Why doesn't congress try to address why these medical visits cost so much. When doctors can charge hundreds of dollars to only see a patient for a few minutes, there is something wrong. And they can charge 15 dollars per minute of oxygen(no joke)? Why do these doctors and technicians cost so much? Because their education costs too much. Because the cost of EVERYTHING is way overinflated except the average workers' wage.

I Have worked in a hospital for a good while. I can honestly say there is no fix for healthcare. People need to realize that death is a natural part of life. 95% of the people I take care of are extremely old and crippled, and have absolutely no quality of life; yet I am forced to do cpr on these people because their families can't let them go. Billions of dollars are spent keeping people alive, in constant pain and discomfort. If you want to live long, then take care of yourself early. If not, fine, but don't cling to a hospital bed for dear life the last decade of your existence. Now I am not saying we should euthanize anyone, but our society's fear of death is dragging everyone else down.

And please quit talking about rights! As George Carlin says: "They are only temporary privileges."