The dismantling of democracy: Congress passes `doomsday' plan

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The dismantling of democracy.

 

 

 

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=62564

 

 

Congress passes `doomsday' plan

By Noelle Straub

Sunday, January 9, 2005

 

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.