Democrats Do Indeed Have Splendid Spend-It Plans

The Republican Study Committee, headed by Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, has published an abridged listing of some of the Democrat-proposed legislation that has been presented in the House during 2005 — 2006.

This is definitely a party with a plan. And the plan is to pick your wallet clean, drive you to insanity with trifling legislation, and generally insure the advent of the socialist welfare state. This isn’t Big Brother; this is that whiny Little Brother, grabbing all the marbles and making up crabby new rules as he goes along.

As Representative Pence notes, the Democrat Plan involves the Three R’s:

• Raise taxes,
  
• Retreat from Iraq, and
  
• Redefine marriage.

The only one he left out is “Relinquish the Southern Border.” But perhaps you can think of others we may have missed. If so, go to Republican Study Committee Blog; they have a contact link.

Take a deep breath and gaze upon the workings of great minds, dedicated to your welfare — provided with your money, confiscated for your own good since you are not a legislator and cannot think of the greater good, or even your own well-being. Thus someone else, at great sacrifice to himself or herself, must think for you.

I give you the Democrat plan for the future:

In light of ongoing Democrat criticisms of the Republican legislative agenda, the following is an abridged list of actual bills that have been introduced by House Democrats this or last year.

Justice for the Unprotected against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed Act (JUSTICE) Act (Lee, D-CA)—H.R. 6083. Requires community organizations to be allowed to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g. condoms) in federal prisons. Also prohibits a federal prison from taking adverse action against a prisoner who possesses or uses a sexual barrier protection device.

Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act (Rangel, D-NY)—H.R. 2456. Eliminates the mandatory minimum sentence for crack-cocaine convictions.

Tupac Shakur Records Release Act of 2006 (McKinney, D-GA)—H.R. 4968. Enshrines copies of government records concerning rapper Tupac Shakur in a specially created collection at the National Archives.

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Antibullying Campaign Act (Nadler, D-NY)—H.R. 3787. Creates a new federal grant program aimed at reducing bullying in public schools “based on any distinguishing characteristic of an individual.”

To provide for coverage under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs of incontinence undergarments (Frank, D-MA)—H.R. 1052. Makes adult diapers a covered item under Medicare and Medicaid.

Gas Stamp Act (McDermott, D-WA)—H.R. 3712. Creates billions of dollars in gas stamps each year for people to get free gas, to be distributed to those already eligible for food stamps.

States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act (Frank, D-MA)—H.R. 2087. Allows physicians in states with medical marijuana laws to prescribe marijuana without violating federal law.

Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act (Rangel, D-NY)—H.R. 663. Allows those convicts who are just out of prison to vote.

Department of Peace and Nonviolence Act (Kucinich, D-OH)—H.R. 3760. Establishes a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence, as well as a Peace Day. The department would promote “human rights,” international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, structured mediation, and peaceful conflict resolution.

National Health Insurance Act (Dingell, D-MI)—H.R. 15. Institutes a new 5% value-added tax on property and services and creates a board to oversee payment to any individual for medical services not covered by Medicare.

Freedom of Choice Act (Nadler, D-NY)—H.R. 5151. Creates a right to unrestricted pre-viability abortions, and late terms abortions for the life and health of the mother.

End the War in Iraq Act (McGovern, D-MA)—H.R. 4232. Defunds the War in Iraq, forcing immediate troop withdrawal.

Public Interest Lawyer Assistance Relief Act (Andrews, D-NJ)—H.R. 1753. Forgives the law school debt for attorneys working for a tax-exempt organization or the government.

A Living Wage, Jobs for All Act (Lee, D-CA)—H.R. 1050. Builds on and strengthens FDR’s “Economic Bill of Rights,” creating rights to “decent” jobs, income for individuals unable to work, a “decent” living for farmers, freedom from monopolies, “decent” housing, “adequate” health care, Social Security, education, work training, collective bargaining, a safe working environment, information on trends in pollution sources and products and processes that affect the well-being of workers throughout the world, voting, and personal security. The bill also requires the Attorney General to create a registry of all corporations convicted of violating state or federal law.

Social Security Forever Act (Wexler, D-FL)—H.R. 2472. Imposes a new income tax on workers, employers, and self-employed businessmen to fund Social Security.

Health Security for All Americans Act (Baldwin, D-WI)—H.R. 2133. Requires states to create programs to ensure universal health coverage, and allows states to force employers to pay for health insurance for their employees.

Universal National Service Act (Rangel, D-NY)—H.R. 4752. Makes it an obligation of every U.S. citizen, and every other person residing in the U.S., between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a two-year period of national service, either as a member of an active or reserve component of the armed forces or in a civilian capacity that promotes national defense.

Living American Wage Act (Green, D-TX)—H.R. 5731. Mandates that the federal minimum wage be equal to or greater than 112% of the federal poverty threshold beginning in 2007, and states that the minimum wage should be revised every four years.

Media Ownership Reform Act (Hinchey, D-NY)—H.R. 3302. Restricts ownership of radio and television stations, forcing some owners to divest their holdings, and regulates broadcast content.

Universal Education Act (Kind, D-WI)—H.R. 3930. Creates a Universal Education Corporation that provides taxpayer dollars to foreign countries that enter into education reform agreements with the U.S.

Medicare for All Act (Dingell, D-MI)—H.R. 4683. Increases taxes on workers and employers to offer to all citizens, and other individuals legally present in the U.S., Medicare benefits equivalent to the health care plans federal employees receive.

Menu Education and Labeling Act (DeLauro, D-CT)—H.R. 5563. Regulates what certain restaurants must print on their menus.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding the right of all citizens of the United States to a public education of equal high quality (Jackson, D-IL)—H.J.Res. 29. Creates a constitutional right to equal public education.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding the right of citizens of the United States to health care of equal high quality (Jackson, D-IL)—H.J.Res. 30. Creates a constitutional right to equal health care.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing (Jackson, D-IL)—H.J.Res. 32 and Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to a home (Rangel, D-NY)—H.J.Res 40. Creates a constitutional right to housing.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to full employment and balanced growth (Jackson, D-IL)—H.J.Res. 35.Creates a constitutional right to full employment.

I think the proposed Department of Peace and Non-Violence is meant to begin the process of replacing the Department of Defense and to replace any spoken or written or photographic reference to Donald Rumsfeld in the public domain. Since The Peace Department would be charged with promoting “human rights,” international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, structured mediation, and peaceful conflict resolution, the perfect Secretary for Peace and Structured Mediation would be, of course, the man himself, Ethelred the Unready the Honorable Dennis Kucinich.

And notice their plan to “build on FDR’s ideas.” Now there’s real Democrat innovation and forward thinking. By all means, let’s bring back “a chicken in every pot” idea….oh, wait. The poor and homeless already eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Dems don’t really expect anyone to start cooking… do they?

The idea of a national right to housing could be useful in the following ways:

• Both house of Congress could begin by shelling out some modest percentage of their campaign funds towards the cost of a house for a needy person in their district. This, of course, would be means-tested. No fair giving one to your brother.
  
• Local lotteries could be set up to see who gets the chance to live at the Congressman’s legal address in the district in which he serves while the member is on duty in Washington or back in the disrict campaigning, or on some crucial, educational junket. Again, the lottery would be limited to those without housing.
  
• Any legislator with more than one residence would be legally required to sell all but one of them and use the proceeds to buy modest homes for the needy in his district.
  
• When Congress is not in session, anyone who voted for this bill would be required to work for Habitat for Humanity with Jimmah, building homes for the poor or rehabilitating substandard housing. That way, the current resident in his own district residence would be able to continue living there.

No doubt you could come up with some equally useful ideas for ways that Congress could profitably spend its own money and time before it started on yours.

Just sayin’...