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View Full Version : Adding teeth to Constitution reading FAILS




Matt Collins
01-08-2011, 08:34 AM
:mad:

An early push by New Jersey Republican Rep. Scott Garrett to add some “teeth” to the GOP’s new Constitution rule requiring every bill cite its specific constitutional authority failed in a Republican conference meeting Tuesday.


Garrett offered an amendment that would have restricted lawmakers from citing the “general welfare” or “necessary and proper” clause as a bill’s constitutional authority.
If bills cited those clauses of the Constitution, they would be subject to additional debate on the House floor regarding whether the legislation is constitutional.


The amendment was intended to keep members of Congress from adding overly broad, “boilerplate” language that could cover practically any type of legislation.


But it attracted some guffaws from Democrats who privately mocked the amendment.


“Why would one part of the Constitution not be acceptable?” said a Democratic House aide, “If the Republicans disagree with a part of the Constitution, they should change it.

Maybe Rep. Garrett should channel his inner Scalia.”


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/05/early-push-for-adding-teeth-to-new-gop-constitution-rule-fails-in-conference-meeting/#ixzz1ASEvEmq2