[Shadow_Group] Fw: Congress Passes 'Doomsday' Plan

[Shadow Spook]

rense.com

Congress Passes 'Doomsday' Plan
By Noelle Straub
Boston Herald.com
1-11-5
 
WASHINGTON - With no fanfare, the U.S. House has passed a controversial
doomsday provision that would allow a handful of lawmakers to run
Congress if a terrorist attack or major disaster killed or incapacitated
large numbers of congressmen. 
  
"I think (the new rule) is terrible in a whole host of ways - first, I
think it's unconstitutional,'' said Norm Ornstein, a counselor to the
independent Continuity of Government Commission, a bipartisan panel
created to study the issue. "It's a very foolish thing to do, I believe,
and the way in which it was done was more foolish.'' 
  
But supporters say the rule provides a stopgap measure to allow the
government to continue functioning at a time of national crisis. 
  
GOP House leaders pushed the provision as part of a larger rules package
that drew attention instead for its proposed ethics changes, most of
which were dropped. 
  
Usually, 218 lawmakers - a majority of the 435 members of Congress - are
required to conduct House business, such as passing laws or declaring
war. 
  
But under the new rule, a majority of living congressmen no longer will
be needed to do business under "catastrophic circumstances.'' 
  
Instead, a majority of the congressmen able to show up at the House would
be enough to conduct business, conceivably a dozen lawmakers or less. 
  
The House speaker would announce the number after a report by the House
Sergeant at Arms. Any lawmaker unable to make it to the chamber would
effectively not be counted as a congressman. 
  
The circumstances include "natural disaster, attack, contagion or similar
calamity rendering Representatives incapable of attending the proceedings
of the House.'' 
  
The House could be run by a small number of lawmakers for months, because
House vacancies must be filled by special elections. Governors can make
temporary appointments to the Senate. 
  
Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), one of few lawmakers active on the issue,
argued the rule change contradicts the U.S. Constitution, which states
that "a majority of each (House) shall constitute a quorum to do
business. 
  
"Changing what constitutes a quorum in this way would allow less than a
dozen lawmakers to declare war on another nation,'' Baird said. 
  
http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=62564<http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=62564>
 





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