January 7th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today strongly condemned House Democrats for voting in favor of House Rules changes that “effectively silence dissent and return to an era of authoritarian rule in Congress.”
“The House Democratic caucus has chosen to serve Nancy Pelosi over the people in their own districts by voting for rules changes that have but one intent: to gag the House Republican Minority and reduce it to the relative status of abject acquiescence no matter what shenanigans the Majority decides to pull,” said Wilson.
Included in the rules changes were the repeal of the “motion to recommit” that allowed the Minority to offer alternatives to controversial legislation and the elimination of the six-year term limit for committee chairs.
The vote was 242 in favor and 181 against.
The elimination of the “motion to recommit” was condemned by legislative watchdogs across the country as a defeat for the nation’s two-party system.
“Unfortunately for all Americans, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have decided to silence the House Minority from offering any alternative to the unpopular legislation that is certain to be thrust down everyone’s throat in the coming session: budget-busting national healthcare, cap-and-trade, draconian tax increases, and more bailouts for the Majority’s favored industries,” said Wilson.
“Without any legislative alternatives, the American people will not be presented with any choice but to continue down the road to serfdom,” Wilson added.
Wilson also condemned the repeal of committee chair term limits.
“In 1995, when Republicans came into power, they enacted term limits for committee chairs to put an end to an era when chairs were serving for decades,” said Wilson. “Now, it is clear that Congressional Democrats wish to simply solidify their holds on power and merely serve themselves.”
Wilson called on residents in districts across the country to express their displeasure to their representatives’ office.
“Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats deserves nothing but scorn for deliberately undermining the spirit and the letter of the two-party system that has served our democracy so well,” he said, adding, “They obviously only think we need one party. And that’s a bitter recipe for totalitarian rule.”
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