Sen. DeMint Exposes Draconian Measure in Health Care Bill

Senator Reid Proposes Restrictions on Self-Governance

Senator Harry Reid has slipped language into the heath care bill, via an amendment that would tie the hands of future Congresses with regard to repealing or amending it. The amendment makes substantial changes to the standing rules of the Senate, a move that normally requires a super-majority vote of at least 67 Senators. When questioned about this by Senator DeMint, The Senate president ruled that the bill changes Senate procedure, but not Senate rules, so the 67 vote threshold did not apply. The unasked question that begs to follow is, “what establishes Senate procedures?” Answer: The rules. 

Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid's amendment (page 1020) states that "it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection." The subsection pertains to regulations imposed by the Medicare Advisory Board. The amendment goes on to require a vote of 3/5 the Senate (60 votes) to waive the paragraph. 

This posturing, setting some provisions of the law above others, so as to make them untouchable sets a dangerous precedent. It is the Constitution that is established as the supreme law of the land. The threshold for changing it was set high by the founders. Senator Reid and his cohorts are now attempting to enshrine provisions of their health care bill as above normal laws, and not subject to the normal democratic processes to change or repeal them. 

DeMint observed, “I don’t see why the majority party wouldn’t put this into every bill.” 

Ed Morisey made the point well in his article: "The elected representatives of today should not have greater authority than those who will follow them. Any attempt to pass this into legislation aggrandizes the power of this Congress at the expense of those that follow.” 

The proposed language of this health care amendment would, by simple majority vote, establish a requirement for a super majority to alter or repeal it. If this anti-democracy measure is allowed to stand, the implications for this and all future legislation are dire. Hundreds of years of established Congressional process will be subverted, the future will of the people, expressed by the election of their representatives, thwarted by unreasonable and unprecedented obstacles to our right of self-governance.

1. Click here to send a fax that will be simultaneously delivered to Senators Franken and Klobuchar. Tell them to vote NO on any vote to advance the health care bill.
2. Pick up the phone. Call Senator Franken’s local office at (651) 221-1016 and leave him a message about your opinion of the health care bill.
3. Pick up the phone one more time. Call Senator Klobuchar’s local office at (612) 727-5220 and leave her a message about your opinion of the health care bill. 

Learn more about what the health care scam means to you at HealthReformScam.com

From Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life press release

MN Supreme Court’s abortion-on-demand decision costs taxpayers $14 million 

More than 47,000 unborn babies have been killed in Minnesota since the Dec. 15, 1995, Minnesota Supreme Court Doe v. Gomez ruling established the most extreme abortion-on-demand policy in the nation, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS).

“The Doe v. Gomez ruling by a handful of extremist judges has been disastrous for Minnesota women and their babies,” said Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). “On this 14th anniversary of the decision, Minnesotans do not believe it is the mission of the state to abort thousands of innocent unborn children each year, yet that is exactly what is happening under this radical ruling.” 

The Supreme Court’s Doe v. Gomez decision established a new state constitutional “right” to abortion on demand. This right would remain protected by the state Constitution even if Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States, were to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Doe v. Gomez allows abortions for reasons such as “stress” or “discomfort.” It forbids the state to “interfere” in any way with a woman’s “decision-making” about abortion.

Doe v. Gomez also obligates the state—and thus, taxpayers—to pay for abortions, something not required by the U.S. Supreme Court. From June 1994 through 2007, state taxpayers paid more than $14 million for 47,115 abortions, according to the MDHS. In 2007 alone (the most recent statistics available), state taxpayers paid $1.58 million for 3,914 abortions (MDHS). The state does not record how many women have died from these abortions.

While the total number of abortions in the state is declining slightly, taxpayer funding of abortions has risen nearly every year since 1995. Minnesota taxpayers now pay for almost 30 percent of all abortions performed in the state.

“This is not the will of the majority of Minnesotans, who oppose abortion on demand, and it is not the function of state government to fund the destruction of its most powerless innocent citizens,” Fischbach said. “The Court took away the people’s right to decide whether they want abortion on demand in the state and whether they should be required to pay for others’ elective abortions. It’s time for change in Minnesota.”

TAKE ACTION: Sign the petition calling on state lawmakers to ban taxpayer funding of abortion.

Minnesota Majority Report Special Edition Featuring Lord Christopher Monckton Pt. 4

The conclusion of Drew Emmer's Interview of Lord Christopher Monckton

In this fourth and final installment of this special edition of the Minnesota Majority Report, Lord Monckton drives home the final couple nails in the coffin of global warming alarmism.

The science is in, the facts are out. The debate is over, but the conclusion isn't what you have likely been told before.

Take Action: Find out how to help stop cap and trade scams from becoming law at NoCapAndTrade.com

Related Resources:

• Visit our global warming blog, GlobalClimateScam.com for up to date news on global warming developments.
• Richard Lindzen's Paper on the Earth's radiative transfer vs. surface temperatures

The US Senate is expected to vote on a motion to proceed with their version of the health care bill as soon as Thursday. This procedural motion is the first vote to advance the Senate bill to the floor. It requires 60 votes. Next, it’s open to debate before being placed for final passage. Once on the floor, passage requires only 51 votes. The best opportunity to stop the government takeover of health care is now.

• Senator Franken’s Minneapolis Office: 612-221-1016
• Senator Klobuchar’s Minneapolis Office (toll free): 1-888-224-9043 

Ronald Reagan's 1961 health care message featured in new ad.

Reagan’s prophetic message rings as true today as it did nearly 50 years ago 

Today Minnesota Majority released a new radio and internet advertisement featuring excerpts of a talk by Ronald Reagan which was sponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1961. The program was used as part of Operation Coffee Cup, a neighbor-to-neighbor campaign that involved people gathering in living rooms across the nation to listen to a LP recording of Ronald Reagan warning of the dangers of a government takeover of healthcare. The record came with other informational materials and instructions on how to write letters to Congress.

“It was like a pre-internet action alert,” said Jeff Davis, president of Minnesota Majority. “Today we have new tools like email and YouTube to get our message out more quickly, but the basic principles are essentially the same,” he said. “It’s amazing to consider that we’ve been fighting against this encroachment by government for nearly five decades.”

The AMA recording, “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine” was dedicated to the public domain by the AMA. They encouraged the message to be spread by any possible avenues. “The AMA is a completely different organization today,” noted Davis. “They have done a complete flip-flop on this issue, bowing to political pressure from the Obama administration.” 

Minnesota Majority has also dedicated our Ronald Reagan Health Care audio/video production to the public domain, making it available to any organization that is interested in using the audio or video with their own brand in other markets.  “Since the bill has been passed in the House, we have a limited time to try to stop it in the Senate,” said Davis.  A generic version of the advertisement, excluding Minnesota Majority’s branding, is available for download for any organization that wishes to make use of it. [MPG2 video | WAV Audio]

Take Action: Call 1-888-REAGAN-8 to hear a short message about the health care bill and then you will be transfered to the US Capitol switchboard to be connected to your Senators. Ask for either Senator Franken or Senator Klobuchar. Better yet, call twice and talk to both of them.

From MCCL Press Release -- Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota’s 2008 annual report, issued as a poster, shows that Minnesota’s leading abortionist realized record profits and served fewer people last year.

A quick look at the 2008 report versus the 2007 report reveals the following:

• Total revenues rose 10.8% from $24,660,000 in 2007 to $27,328,000 in 2008.
• Total revenues from government funds increased 21% from $4,350,000 to $5,268,000 (the largest annual dollar amount to date).
• Contributions climbed 66.7 % from $5,955,000 to $9,924,000.

While government and individuals’ contributions increased enormously, Planned Parenthood suffered an investment lost on its vast reserves of cash:

• Investment income: - $3,429,000 (loss)

“The money that Planned Parenthood is making is enormous. One can easily see why Planned Parenthood wants abortions covered in all health care reform—it means huge amounts of money for their pockets,” stated Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).

The report also states that there are now 25 Planned Parenthood “health centers” within Minnesota. While all 25 do not actually perform abortions, all 25 refer pregnant women to the Planned Parenthood abortion center in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. The 2008 report acknowledges that Planned Parenthood performed 4,792 “safe, legal abortion(s)” in 2008, killing 4,792 innocent unborn children.

“While many people and families are suffering in this tough economy, Planned Parenthood is raking in millions of dollars from the government, from donors and from the sale of abortions performed on women in crisis. It is truly tragic,” concluded Fischbach.

Minnesota Majority Report Special Edition Featuring Lord Christopher Monckton Pt. 3

Drew Emmer's Interview of Lord Monckton Continues.

In the third installment of this special edition of the Minnesota Majority Report, Lord Christopher Monckton explains some of the methods and motivation of climate change alarmists.

Was the IPCC report properly peer reviewed? How many scientists actually contributed to it? How many dissenters were there? What's NASA's new mission? These questions and more are answered by Lord Monckton in this installment.

Take Action: