Monday, May 19, 2008

The Important Business of Congress

Today The House of Representatives started their day with a message from the Senate that they passed without amendment House Bill, H.R. 2356 which is a Bill to encourage the display of the American Flag on Father's Day. It would seem that with Food Prices skyrocketing and Energy Costs tripling and the Middle Class falling into Poverty and those in Poverty falling into despair, with an illegal occupation of a foreign Country, and Americans dying and being maimed and disabled by an insurgent civil war that thew House of Representatives would have a more meaningful agenda that encouraging that the American Flag be displayed on Father's Day. Does the House of Representatives think that displaying the American Flag is a way to honor the Nation's Fathers?

Maybe a better way to honor the Nation's Fathers would be to have a serious legislative session that would reverse the most egregious violations of American Principals that the past seven and a half years of Republican policies have wrought upon the Nation's Fathers The Nation's Fathers are suffering from the highest energy prices in American History. Shouldn't the House of Representatives be in session until a comprehensive energy policy is passed and funded. A policy that would fund the development and distribution of alternative renewable energy. A policy that would lift the tariffs from Brazilian ethanol that would allow the ethanol to be imported into the country at less than half the current price of a barrel of oil. Brazil has the capacity to send millions of barrels a day of ethanol into the U.S., and they are looking to do so and also increase their capacity if they had a market. The Tariff on the ethanol from Brazil makes it impossible to import at a viable price. A simple piece of legislation that would eliminate the tariff on imported ethanol should not take up any more of the House's time than a bill to encourage the displaying of the American Flag on Father's Day. Who would be opposed to letting a Country than can and that wants to import cheap energy into the Country? The oil lobbyists that have the Members of the House in their pocket during an election year when they will all be looking for campaign contributions?

The Members of The House of Representatives also spent their day with such vital legislation as:

H. CON. RES. 300
Recognizing the necessity for the United States to maintain its significant leadership role in improving the health and promoting the resiliency of coral reef ecosystems, and for other purposes.

H. CON. RES. 325
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program, which began on June 15, 1958, and for other purposes.

H. RES. 1074
Honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial.

and,

H. R. 1464
To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.

It appears that The House of Representatives is too busy to address, the problems facing the American People and driving them and their Nation into despair. The American People want action on:

1. The Diverting of the Treasury of the United States to contractors who have no bid contracts for billions of U.S. dollars that are needed at home.
2. The protection of the American Military Personnel who have been thrust into the middle of a civil war allowed to flourish by the illegal invasion of a foreign Nation by the United States.
3. Health Care for every citizen especially Veterans who are returning from combat deployment in two theaters, and who are retuning without proper physical and psychological care.
4. An Energy Policy that will take the Nation out of the grips of foreign governments who are buying the infrastructure of America with oil profit unrestricted by the current Republican Administration.
5. A return of Usury laws which would protect the American Family from excessive interest charges. A Re-regulation of the Banking Industry that would prevent gouging by imposing excessive fees for transaction and late payments.
6. Rebuilding the infrastructure of the Nation
7. Provide funding for quality education and research and development into conquering diseases.
8. A Commitment to end hunger.
9. A Commitment to developing jobs that will pay a living wage with benefits.
10. A substantive plan to insure fair and verifiable voting machines throughout the Nation.

And if the House of Representatives can accomplish that list, the American People have ten more real, substantive issues that they would like addressed for the salary, health care, travel expenses and office budgets that each and every Member of the House of Representatives receives for their tenure as legislators dealing with the vital issue of carving the monument to Crazy Horse. There is a time and a place for such initiatives, but while the heart and soul of the Nation is burning, it is not the right time.

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