Did Congress Outlaw its own Acts?
May 26, 2008 Political
Mark Steyn wrote an excellent piece entitled “Too Bad Your Car Can’t Run on Congress’ Hot Air” in which he looks at the way the House hauled oil executives in to grill them over the price of oil and gasoline. Steyn makes excellent points about the process and then what the House did to screw itself with a vote called the NOPEC vote.
Earlier I wrote a post and I indicated that I did not get the name of the Congresswoman who was asking the stupid questions and Steyn mentioned her and the inane line of questioning. Her name is Debbie Wasserman Schultz and she actually made this statement:
“I can’t say that there is evidence that you are manipulating the price, but I believe that you probably are. So prove to me that you are not.”
First of all it is impossible to prove a negative and second of all why would someone have to prove they are NOT doing something wrong? The burden of proof is on the government or those making the accusation. Perhaps we should all send letters to Wasserman Schulz stating that there is no evidence she is taking illegal campaign contributions but we suspect she probably is so she needs to prove that she is not. How retarded is she and why did the people in Florida put this Yenta in office? If I had been the oil executive I would have chewed this dingbat up and spit her out all over the walls of Congress. She would have been whimpering in a corner wondering why she asked such a stupid question. Steyn makes it clear that his answers are a reason he is not asked to testify in front of Congress.
After this show for the American people (it had nothing to do with gas prices because the Congress and the oil companies cannot control them) the members of the House voted 324-82 for the so called NOPEC Bill which states:
“It shall be illegal and a violation of this Act to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product … or to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for oil, natural gas or any petroleum product when such action, combination, or collective action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price or distribution of oil, natural gas or other petroleum product in the United States.”
OK, let’s look at this in a couple of ways. First of all do the members of the House actually think OPEC gives a rodent’s derriere how the price and distribution of a product is affecting the US? The OPEC nations are a cartel that is not subject to US law and is not subject to the whims of the US Congress. Congress cannot make it illegal for other countries to do what they want with the products that they produce. Imagine how these very people would act if Iran passed a similar bill making it illegal to withhold any item we currently refuse to sell them? Our Congress would laugh and say Iranian law does not apply so who the hell are we to make laws that apply to other countries?
Having said that I think we should do whatever it takes to get this through and have the President sign it without delay. It should become the law of the land immediately. You see, as Steyn points out, the US is in violation of this Bill. The refusal of our government to allow drilling (Wasserman addressed this during her lunatic rantings) in ANWR, off the coasts and in the Gulf and in any number of places has caused the price of gas and other products to rise. Wasserman and Schumer can say drilling here will not make a difference but they use that Congressional math that NEVER adds up.
The fact is if we started building more refineries, stopped with the boutique blends of gasoline and drilled for and pumped our own oil, we would be able to regulate part of the market. We would influence how much oil is produced and how much is in the market which would affect the prices. When supply is greater than demand then prices go down. If we pump and use our own oil we can decide how much it should cost without outside influences. I doubt we will ever be able to pump enough to be independent but we can certainly put a dent in the prices.
Steyn is absolutely correct in that the US is the biggest violator of this Bill and that is why I say that we need to get it signed quickly before the Democrats and their environmentalist wacko friends realize that they will not be able to stop drilling if this becomes a law. The President can sign it into law and then immediately level charges at anyone opposed to drilling. Congress will have no choice but to allow drilling (and anything else associated with our energy needs; nuclear, refineries etc.) because opposition to such would be in violation of the very law they passed. So, for those who wonder why any Republicans signed on, maybe this explains it.
If this all took place and we could finally start going after our own oil and building more refineries because of a law the Democratically controlled Congress aimed at other countries it would be a great example of the expression “to be hoisted by one’s own petard.”
This is all a great demonstration as to how Congress is so arrogant that it cannot see it is the biggest violator of the Bill. I wish someone would have pointed that out to Debbie Yenta Wasserman. I don’t think she would have had an answer but it would have been fun watching her babble on.
It is not nice to pick on retards but she and the others in Congress make it so easy…
Tags: Congress, illegal acts, mark steyn, nopec, stupidity, wasserman