Pelosi: 'Republican Leaders Once Again Undermine Democracy...

[Cocoa]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040708/dcth076_1.html

Pelosi: 'Republican Leaders Once Again Undermine Democracy, This Time to Threaten Civil Liberties'

Thursday July 8, 6:30 pm ET

WASHINGTON, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on an amendment offered by Congressman Bernard Sanders of Vermont that would have taken reasonable steps to protect civil liberties. Republican leaders held the vote on the amendment open for 38 minutes, well past the scheduled 15 minutes, in order to force nine of their Members to switch their votes. The vote total went from 219 to 201 for the amendment to 210 to 210, a tie vote resulting in the amendment's failure.

"Today on the House floor, Republican leaders once again undermined democracy, this time so that the Bush Administration can threaten our civil liberties. How thoroughly un-American.

"A clear majority of the House wanted to take responsible steps to preserve our civil liberties, protect political expression, and prevent the misuse of the Patriot Act. When the Patriot Act was proposed, it was promised that it would be accompanied by strong congressional oversight so that implementation of it would not be overly intrusive. That oversight has not happened, and the potential for searches of library and bookstore records is overly intrusive.

"This common-sense amendment would have prevented law enforcement agencies from conducting broad and indiscriminate searches of libraries and bookstores and peering into our personal reading choices. As we protect and defend the American people against terrorism, we must also protect and defend the Constitution and the civil liberties contained therein.

"The will of the House for reasonable protections of our civil liberties should have been respected. Last month, I proposed a Minority Bill of Rights to provide for the full, fair, and open consideration of legislation that the American people expect and deserve. It specifically says that 'no vote shall be held open in order to manipulate the outcome.' Today's vote is yet another disturbing example of why that Bill of Rights is necessary."

[Rose Siding]

1. 5 or 6 Dems helped them

I hope Nancy quits taking calls from Jane Harmon.

[shance]

6. Who are the Democrats that voted for it?

They need calls.

[indepat]

8. Those Dems sho nuf Cheneyed we the people, our liberty and freedom,

and our Constitution. If there is a just God in heaven, surely they will burn in eternal hell.

[NewJerseyDem]

13. 4 Democrats voted for it

Chet Edwards (TX)
Charlie Stenholm (TX)
Adam Smith (WA)
Jane Harman (CA)

Also, Zoe Lofgren (CA) voted present.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Go, Nancy! Excellent statement!!

[billybob537]

3. They really are scum

this only proves the have no character.

[Pachamama]

4. Shame, Shame, Shame on you Republicans....n/t

[RobertSeattle]

5. I'd love to see a history of the "15 minute" stretching

Did DEM House leaders (O'neil, Gephart, etc) do the same when they were in charge is this a recent REPUB invention?

[NewJerseyDem]

14. Dems did do it

And the republicans complained. On the floor today, Steny Hoyer was asking David Dreier about how republicans can say that it is justified now considering what Cheney and others had to say when it happened during the 80s. And Dreier said that since they had never been in the majority, they didn't realize that it was needed to leave the vote open sometimes.

[xxqqqzme]

7. in 1987

chenfuckney complained about it
' In 1987, then-Rep. Dick Cheney (R-WY) criticized the practice of holding open votes to overturn bills, calling the maneuver "the most heavy-handed, arrogant abuse of power in the 10 years I've been here.'...'

[JayS]

9. Ha! Ha! I remember this. What goes around comes around. :) n/t

n/t

[pinto]

10. thank you, Congresswoman Pelosi.....hang in there.....n/t

[Imperialism Inc.]

11. What did they do to get 9 people to switch?

Make them an offer they can't refuse?

[SoFlaJet]

12. and then.........

today McGovern from Mass.tries to put forth an amendment that would prohibit votes to be held open so that reps could be coerced to change their vote.i watched this on C-Span yesterday and it was held open for 38 minutes and they had like 19 repubs on this bi-partisan bill until DeLay twisted arms and it went down 210-210.This morning that friggin Nazi on the rule com.Drier of California tried to justify it and wouldn't even yield to Franks,They are so out of control they must be stopped.

[struggle4progress]

15. I like her mouth! eom