It is a national travesty that congressional representatives, primarily Republicans, do not have to pass a simple Constitutional literacy test before serving as members of America’s legislative branch. Since January 2009, not only have Republicans displayed a gross ignorance of their Constitutional mandate as legislators, they have no basic comprehension of the founding document’s well-defined “Separation of Powers;” at least while an African American man leads the Executive Branch. It is also tragic that most Republicans in Congress have pledged their allegiance to foreigners who are uninterested in the general welfare of the United States that in one case have no regard for the American people’s health, and the other has no concern for Americans he wants to send to die in his war.
There are a couple of specific instances recently where Republicans, and some Democrats, are working to advance the interests of foreigners over their own nation and display righteous indignation that a true American, Barack Obama, fails to obey the foreigners’ demands. In both instances, Republicans also refuse to do the job they purportedly go to Washington for; levy taxes to pay for legislation for the people’s general welfare. In both cases the Republicans’ failure to do their jobs are intricately related to their disregard for the Separation of Powers.
There has been a fair amount of space wasted exposing the Republicans’ allegiance to a foreign government, its leader, and one of its corporations. They have continued their unconstitutional crusade to supersede the authority of the Executive Branch and eliminate the State Department’s purview over America’s international border with Canada. This persistent attempt to use legislation to grant a construction permit to a foreign corporation for its pipeline at the insistence of a foreign leader, Canada’s Prime Minister, is unconstitutional; it also does not meet the Constitution’s requirement that Congress levies taxes to pay for legislation advancing the general welfare of the United States. Instead it is a means of enriching the two brothers who bought Republicans control of Congress.
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Republicans cannot fathom that just because the Koch brothers bought control of Congress, it does not mean the Constitution’s Separation of Powers is null and void; it just means the Koch brothers control two branches of government. Republicans are still mandated to govern according to the Constitution that primarily entails levying taxes and passing legislation to advance the general welfare of the people; not the general welfare of the Koch brothers, a foreign corporation, a foreign nation’s leader, or the Speaker of the House. Americans should demand that Republicans read, and adhere to, the Constitution they swore an oath to support and defend or get out of government, emigrate to Canada, and live in tar sand.
The other blatant effort to advance the interests of a foreigner is the real reason House Speaker John A. Boehner violated nation’s 216 year-old federal Logan Act in summoning a foreigner to address a joint session of Congress. It is true that as suspected, and confirmed by Israeli consul general Yaron Sideman, Boehner and Netanyahu conspired to ‘defy and humiliate’ the President of the United States by violating the Logan Act. However, the real reason was to give the foreigner an opportunity to lobby for passage of a Senate bill. One that not only gives Netanyahu the full authority to end the State Department’s diplomatic negotiating power, but gives Netanyahu unilateral authority to force America into a war with Iran at Israel’s pleasure.
There is nothing in the so-called Kirk-Menendez bill that fulfills the Constitution’s mandate that Congress levies taxes to pay for legislation for the general welfare of the United States. It does, however, strip foreign policy authority from the Executive Branch and puts it in the hands of a foreigner. That is why Boehner invited Netanyahu to lobby in front of a joint session of Congress; to fear monger, lie, and convince legislators from both chambers to pass the legislation eliminating the Executive Branch’s authority to negotiate with Iran and hand Israel’s leader the authority to declare war on Iran in America’s stead. Don’t believe it?
Buried in the Kirk-Menendez bill, in section 2(b)(5), is a stipulation that whenever Israel feels like taking military action against Iran, the United States is compelled to provide “military support” to Israel. Do Americans understand what the bill entails? Of course not, but that is why Republicans and some blood-thirsty anti-Muslim Democrats are couching their true intent with phony fears that Iran will not adhere to negotiated agreements.
Obviously, to Israel, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and warmongers lusting for yet another Middle East war fought by Americans, the legislation empowering Israel to start America’s next war is a must-pass bill; particularly because it includes an ironclad legal requirement for the United States to launch what neo-cons were giddy concluding would be “a very substantial war” with Iran. The primary reason Boehner showed his true national allegiance to Israel in summoning “the esteemed Senator from Israel” (Netanyahu) to lobby Congress to pass the Iran-War authorization bill, is to put an abrupt end to President Obama and world leaders’ diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution with Iran without a war. Also, Boehner wants to strip foreign policy decisions from the Executive Branch and give them to foreigner Netanyahu along with the power to unilaterally send U.S. armed forces into another Middle East war; this time with Iran.
It is difficult to note when, over the past two decades at least, Republicans in Congress have actually fulfilled their Constitutional mandate to “levy taxes to pay for legislation for the general welfare of the United States.” In fact, they have not passed any legislation for the general welfare of anyone other than their wealthy donors, and yet they have no problem passing legislation either endangering the people’s general welfare or advancing the interests of foreigners who have no allegiance to America and could not care on iota less about its welfare. What is astonishing, and frankly pathetic, is that the American people allow any Republican to serve in Congress when they have shown nothing but contempt for this nation and its people while giving their complete loyalty and attention to foreigners.
Understanding that Republicans are indebted to the Koch brothers, their fealty to a foreign corporation for oil profits make sense. However, their undivided devotion to Israel, including their willingness to give a foreigner (Netanyahu) relative authority to send American troops to fight a war with Iran hidden within the Kirk-Menendez bill not only does not make sense, it is patently un-American. It is also un-American to disregard the Constitution’s well-defined Separation of Powers; foreign policy is not the purview of Congress any more than approving an international-border crossing construction permit is no matter who owns Congress.
Republicans cannot be bothered to pass one piece of legislation spending one penny on America’s infrastructure, its people, or its Homeland Security, but they regularly send American dollars to fund Israel’s military and anticipate funding another war Netanyahu gets to start at his pleasure. There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution mandating Congress to serve the best interests of foreigners, no matter their country of origin, and yet that has been where Republicans, and some Democrats, have put all their energy over the past few months. It is long past time for Republicans to declare publicly where their national loyalty lies. If it is with the United States, then they must start fulfilling their oath of office, adhere to the Constitution, and legislate for the general welfare of Americans. If they are loyal to Israel, they need to emigrate to the so-called ‘holy land’ and join Netanyahu on the front lines when he invades Iran; without American assistance, money, or troops.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
