Mr. Obama, the Democrats, and a painful lesson
Just as the Democratic Party claims that it has a legitimate right, or a mandate by the voters to enact their agenda, the Republicans in the House of Representatives can make the exact same claim. In 2010, voters across the nation elected to send Republican representatives; this was repeated again in 2012 as even more Republicans were elected to the House. Although the Obama Administration and the mainstream media are claiming that a minority party, the Republicans in the House do not only have a mandate, in reality, the mandate they have is exactly the same as the mandate that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid claims to have. Within Congress, the House of Representatives, under the control of the Republicans, and Article 1 §7 states: All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. Article 1 §8 states The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States… Both of these sections explain why the House, Senate, and the Presidency are currently at odds.
Under the current climate in Washington of “winner take all” politics, it has been forgotten that both the House and the Senate have the responsibility to pay debts owed by the United States, but that it is the House of Representatives that has the sole responsibility of originating all bills designed to generate revenue – which is also another reason why the House of Representatives can demand a review and delay of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Since the associated penalties and fees have been ruled to actually be a tax and not a penalty, it throws into question the legitimacy of the entire act as passed and signed into law, since it did not originate in the House but the Senate. If the Affordable Care Act is to survive the increased scrutiny of Republicans and the American public, President Obama and the Democrats are going to have to allow some reevaluation and some rewriting of the law in order for it to become something acceptable to the majority of Americans and the representatives serving them in the House – even if that review leads to increased calls for repeal, it is something that the administration must be prepared to seek common ground with the House Republicans.
Alan Simmons
Alan Simmons is an instructor of history at a community college in Kentucky. He has been involved in education since 1999 and has taught in post-secondary education since 2004.
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Alan Simmons
Alan Simmons is an instructor of history at a community college in Kentucky. He has been involved in education since 1999 and has taught in post-secondary education since 2004.