Unfit to govern

The Istook amendment wasn't a mistake. It's the new Republican way... The new proto-fascist congress, where Representatives and Senators are just window-dressing for the 'Leadership'. Amendments inserted into bills in the middle of the night (by person or persons unknown). In both houses, whether they're Democrats or Republicans, the 'rank and file' won't be allow to participate... because it's not democracy anymore. The snooping into Americans finances (Istook) amendment may be removed from law, but a stealth anti-choice amendment won't... It too was slipped into the spending bill without proper legislative process and consensus.

House to Return to Quell Tax Controversy
Killing Expansion of Hill Access to IRS Returns Dec. 6 Frees Spending Bill
By Helen Dewar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Page A07

House Republican leaders were forced yesterday to summon lawmakers back into session next month to quell an uproar over a belatedly discovered provision in a huge spending bill that would have given Appropriations Committee chairmen access to Americans' tax returns. . . . .

Doubts remained yesterday over exactly how the controversial tax-return provision -- which allows Appropriations Committee chairmen or their "agents" access to Internal Revenue Service facilities or "any tax returns or return information contained therein" -- got into the omnibus spending bill late last week. House Republicans blamed committee staff aides and the IRS.

Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.), chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the IRS, denied any role. Yesterday Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who had referred to the proposal as the "Istook amendment" Saturday, issued a statement expressing regret for "any confusion my earlier remarks may have created."
[ full article ]

November 22, 2004
Congress Passes "Back-Door" Abortion
Gag Rule
An anti-abortion provision with potentially widespread impact will remain intact as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill for 2005, in spite of efforts by pro-choice Senators to block the measure. President Bush is expected to sign the omnibus spending bill.

On Friday, nine female Senators, including Olympia Snowe (R-ME), sent a letter to chair of the Appropriations Committee Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), requesting that the language of the clause be changed and protesting the fact that the Federal Refusal Clause had not been discussed in committee, nor had it been put to a vote on the Senate floor. According to the women Senators, the clause, sponsored by Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL), would “allow a broad range of health-care companies refuse to comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertaining to abortion services. Should this provision become law, federal, state, or local governments may no longer require any institutional or individual health-care provider to provide, pay for, or refer abortion services. This will mean that medical providers in hospitals and clinics across the country will likely be victims of demonstrations and intimidation as this provisions allows that they be forbidden from providing abortion care to women who need it, and also to deny women referrals to another provider. . . .
[ full article ]