Could what the republicans are doing be called extortion?

[shraby]

definition of extortion:
Illegal use of one's official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage


"Whoever, being an officer, or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof, or representing himself to be or assuming to act as such, under color or pretense of office or employment commits or attempts an act of extortion, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; but if the amount so extorted or demanded does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. "
Federal Extortion Law - 18 USC § 872 - Extortion by officers or employees of the United States



edited for grammar in the heading.

[FarPoint]

1. Sounds about right to me.

Yea.

[liberal N proud]

2. It should be, oh wait, I think the President used it already.

[elleng]

3. No doubt.

[Warpy]

4. Yes, 100%

A minority within a majority party has decided they don't like a law that was passed, signed, and even vetted by the USSC. They don't have the votes in their own party to overturn it but they do have the Speaker of the House and are using him to block the majority in the majority party from acting to get the government up and running.

Yes, it's extortion. It's the worst sort of anti democratic posturing and dirty tricks. It might also be illegal. We'll give constitutional scholars some time on this one.

[PM Martin]

5. That is the word I would certainly use.

[samsingh]

6. yes

[Agnosticsherbet]

7. Congress' enumeratedd power is to raise funds and taxes, an implied power is

the ability to withhold funds. So it is well within their powers to fund, or not fund, any program. Since they are utilizing an enumerated power or an implied power granted under the Constitution, it is not legally extortion.

Now, in every other sense, they using extortion by withholding funds in order to gain control of the entire federal government and enact an agenda they could not pass. But as an actual prosecutable offense, they are not doing it.

What they are precipitating is a Constitutional Crises.

The founding fathers did not foresee that a party would not pass a budget in order to extort concessions. Because of that, there is no easy way around the impasse.

Rather than an extortion I see it as a coup d'état. They are using the budget process to control the Senate and executive branch, thus taking all federal powers into their own hands. The rest of the government does what they say or they will collapse the Federal government.

[Lars39]

10. Nicely explained. Thank you!

[gopiscrap]

8. Yup

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Without a doubt.