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Please Explain Ammendments to Bills to Me

post #1 of 11
3/1/07 at 1:32pm
Thread Starter 
I've been watching Season One of West Wing (yeah, I know, I'm a little late to the party) and something is godawful confusing to me: how can someone add an ammendment onto a bill that has nothing to do with said bill? For example, in the episode "The White House Pro-Am" a congresswoman adds an ammendment in regards to Child Labour to a bill that has to do with international tariffs. How is that allowed?

(Keep in mind that I'm Canadian and my grasp of US politics is minimal at best)

Thanks!
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post #2 of 11
3/1/07 at 1:37pm
In the federal constitution, there are no single-subject requirements. For example, you'll see a lot of crazy amendments in budgets because Congressmen don't want to block budgets, and thus have federal agencies close down, because they object to one particular fine point.

So long as you have one sponsor in the Senate (this is easy), or you meet with the Rules committee in the House (this is harder, unless your party is in power), you can get an amendment.

It's just a trick of parliamentary procedure. States can't do this, since most state constitutions have single-subject requirements. In Florida, for example, you can't add stuff about gay marriage in an appropriations bill. Presumably you could in federal legislation, but there are other backstops to this (tradition, lack of federal jurisdiction, etc.).

Hope that helps!
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post #3 of 11
3/3/07 at 4:21am
Its one of the reasons why Clinton was for "line-item veto".

It would basicly allow the president to veto any part of a bill he didn't like and would basicly stop the "the bill is going to pass, lets add a 50% walking tax and it will fail"
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post #4 of 11
3/3/07 at 1:02pm
This is how we get so much "pork barrel" spending, as it were.

A Congressman can add to an important, everyone agrees, it will pass type of bill an amendment saying "give $100K to my district" and it will slide (partially because it's not worth killing the whole bill over and partially because 'everybody does it').
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post #5 of 11
3/3/07 at 1:25pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone. I'm amazed that anything gets done with that kind of loop hole just sitting there.

What ever happened to Clinton's push for line item veto?
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post #6 of 11
3/4/07 at 12:13pm
This is what's wrong with America. If you have a bill called "Benefits for Troops" and it's about getting troops better equipment and to set them up after their service and in this bill you also include the right of the president do to whatever he wants let's say declare himself emperor which is only 1 line in the bill. Do you think people would vote against it? No becuase then the opposition will use it against them saying "they dont support troops because they voted against this bill. This is the evilness that shines in politics in America.


Perfect example is the "Patriot Act" theres nothing patriotic about it and if you voted against it right after 911 you were a terrorist. Bush is very clever doing these kinds of things and thats how he pretty much became a fascist dictator. I really think there will be another "attack" on America and he will go into Iran and suspend elections to stay in power. He already has the power to do this.






I hope I'm wrong and crazy about this.
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post #7 of 11
3/4/07 at 2:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthSidious
suspend elections to stay in power. He already has the power to do this.

I hope I'm wrong and crazy about this.
Where does he already have the power to do this? Do you really think the entire country will stand by and let him? Or do you think he'll have a military overthrow (which would be difficult to do with the army overseas)?
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post #8 of 11
3/5/07 at 6:41pm
He has, generously, a 30% approval rating. That is not a position from which you inform the country that they cannot elect a new President.
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post #9 of 11
3/5/07 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan S~
Thanks everyone. I'm amazed that anything gets done with that kind of loop hole just sitting there.

What ever happened to Clinton's push for line item veto?
The Republicans gave it to him over the objection of the Democrats in Congress. It was part of the Republican's Contract with America. A few lawsuits were filed to challenge it, with one making it up to the Supreme Court. The Court voted that the line-item veto was unconstitutional as a violation of the Presentment Clause, which dictates how Federal laws are made. Basically, letting a president cut out the stuff he doesn't like makes a whole new law that Congress never voted on. That means the president is improperly usurping Congress' job of making laws. Since then, there has been some talk of a Constitutional Amendment specifically allowing the line-item veto, but I don't think it's really gotten anywhere.

If I remember correctly, most states have some form of a line-item veto in place for governors.
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post #10 of 11
3/5/07 at 11:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belethedheliel
Or do you think he'll have a military overthrow (which would be difficult to do with the army overseas)?
Umm, what do you think the odds of the military actually going along with something like that might be? Wouldn't that require a military leadership that was actually happy with this administration?
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post #11 of 11
3/5/07 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthSidious
I hope I'm wrong and crazy about this.
You do not hope in vain.
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