Posted on 07/20/2009 8:31:46 AM PDT by rickgyt
“Jewish groups are hailing the Senate’s passage of legislation expanding federal involvement in hate crimes. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and B’nai B’rith International have all released statements today praising the vote attaching the hate-crimes bill to the defense authorization bill.”
Any Conservative minded Jews on Free Republic ought to take note with this and not donate or do work with or support any of these organizations.
One more chip at free speech.
So-called “hate crime” legislation is nothing more than thought police. Notice, that the ONLY group in America who can be prosecuted for “hate crimes” are white, Christian, heterosexual males. White, Christian, heterosexual males are the only non-protected group in America.
five Republicans help Democrats, with out them it would happen
good by state rights
The Human Rights Council now in every State http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
The U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification was ratified by the U.S. Senate on October 18, but few Senators yet know that it has been ratified. Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) introduced a package of 34 treaties, all of which were ratified by a show of hands — no recorded vote.
Initially, Senator Thomas’ office told callers that the Senator had nothing to do with the ratification. On December 8, his office called to explain that Senator Thomas just happened to be on the Senate Floor late in the afternoon of October 18 — and was asked by the leadership to handle procedurally, the package of treaties. Senator Thomas has asked the Foreign Relations Committee to explain how, and why, the Desertification Treaty was included in the package.
Also, the Left can't seem to make up its mind as to whether it wants special "rights" or euthanasia for the disabled.
got an answer from C-Span’s Capitol Questions concerning this vote and House rules...
My question:
Two nights ago, the House voted in favor of suspending the rules and passing a bill. It was a voice vote, and there were only about 20 Congressmen present on the floor at the time. (The bill was H.R. 4210.) How can a bill be allowed to pass when so few Representatives are present? What are the rules concerning a quorum being required? If the motion to reconsider is immediately tabled, does that mean that the vote is final even though only 20 members were present?
C-Span’s answer:
Suspension of the rules takes a 2/3 vote to pass, whether it’s by roll-call [a certain discernible number] or by voice vote [judgment of the chair that 2/3 said “aye.”]
Members may choose to pass anything by voice vote. They have several procedures to call upon if they wish to get a roll call vote.
Only roll call votes prove the absence of a quorum. If the absence of a quorum [218 in the House; 51 in the Senate] is established, the vote would be invalid.
Although the written rules of the House and the Senate both require that a quorum be present at all times for business to take place, the reality is that it rarely is except for roll-call votes.
This practice is known as a “presumed quorum.” In other words, a quorum is presumed to be present unless it is pointed out that it is not. That would be done by either a point of order that no quorum is present or by the numerical evidence of a roll call vote not adding up to a quorum.
Members can easily make a point of order — and do, often — that no quorum is present. Then business is suspended until a quorum materializes. But the quorum requirement must be enforced from the floor — individual Members must feel strongly enough about it to make the point of order. Otherwise the presumed quorum continues.
As for the motion to reconsider, yes, if it is tabled the vote is final and cannot be reopened for lack of a quorum or for any other reason. See: http://www.c-span.org/questions/weekly85.htm
Best Wishes, Ilona Nickels
C-SPAN Resident Congressional Scholar
So, a bill can be passed no matter how many (or how few) Representatives are present on the floor at the time. As long as nobody present objects to the lack of quorum, and as long as there’s no recorded vote proving the lack of a quorum, the vote is final.
The Dems played the rules like a fiddle.
PS - thank you for your research. I wasn’t aware of C-span’s questions option.
Could Kennedy’s 1969 manslaughter of Mary Jo Kopechne be considered a “hate crime”?
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