No, House Republicans Can’t Just Skip Town And Stick Obama With A Ransom Note

[ProSense]

No, House Republicans Can’t Just Skip Town And Stick Obama With A Ransom Note

By Ian Millhiser



Tuesday morning, the National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru reported that House Republicans “may pass” their proposal to end the shutdown, prevent default and exact certain concessions from Democrats, “and then skip town.” The implicit threat being that President Obama and the Senate could either take what the House Republican caucus is offering, or they can watch the American economy tumble into the chaos of a debt default.

Such a gambit, however, is unlikely to succeed — at least if the House GOP’s goal is to be far away from Washington when the bottom falls out. The Constitution gives President Obama a way to reconvene Congress, and the House rules enable Leader Nancy Pelosi’s caucus to bring Republicans back to the Capitol to do their job.

Under Article II of the Constitution, the President of the United States “may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them.” Thus, even if Speaker John Boehner managed to adjourn the House and hop on a flight to Ohio, President Obama could summon him back to DC.

The Constitution’s text places few, if any, textual constraints on this power to convene Congress, and there is at least some precedent suggesting that the president can choose the specific date when Congress should reconvene. When President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the Congress back into session on March 5, 1933, he required “the Congress of the United States to convene in extra session at the Capitol in the City of Washington on the Ninth day of March, 1933, at twelve o’clock, noon.” If House Republicans closed down shop at 11pm on Tuesday, there’s nothing in the Constitution suggesting President Obama couldn’t order them back to work at 11:01.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/15/2784131/house-republicans-just-skip-town-stick-obama-ransom-note/

Sources indicate Republicans have lost their damn minds
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023854806

[Blue Owl]

1. What is this, Boner -- some kind of GAME?

n/t

[kardonb]

19. game ?

typical bullies : inflict untold damage , and the rub away from the consequences . What a bunch of despicable cowards and traitors !

[tillikum]

2. this has ceased being about what actually meets a defined goal

and the action (and the relative ease in which they are fucking up the system) has become the goal itself.

they are probing for leadership and a stiff jaw and not finding one anywhere.

[freshwest]

8. TRUE: 'fucking up the system) has become the goal itself.'

[Historic NY]

3. Could they convene with a quorum w/o the speaker

democrats & republicans .

[freshwest]

7. Nancy's not leaving, she's no quitter. If Boner and GOPigs leave, the quorum wiil be all Democratic.

If they go AWOL, it will be a sea change. I really hope to hear these words again:

'Greetings, Madame Speaker.'

Sounds crazy, I know, but look at what we're dealing with now.

[calimary]

20. She never has quit, as far as I can remember.

What did denny hastert do, though? He was her predecessor. He was what they had to make do with after newt gingrich self-immolated with scandal and his own serial cheating (during the whole Monica mess), and the guy who was up next, Bob Livingstone, also self-immolated because he, too, was guilty of cheating on his wife. He got as far as "Speaker-Designate" before the bedposts fell in on him. The third choice was denny hastert. And he stayed til the Dems took back the house in 2006 and Nancy Pelosi became Speaker. Guess what denny did? Took his ball and went home, pouting, with his tail between his legs. Sore Loserman. Not man enough to "stay and fight."

By contrast, what did Nancy do? When the GOP regained control in 2010 - and they had to bend the the district boundary lines like pretzels to do it (can't win unless they rig the game), she STAYED. She was woman enough to stay in there, not bail out with her tail between her legs because she had to give up the Speakership, the way denny did.

Now I've lately been noticing the speculation about what boner would do. It's expected he'd pull a denny. Not man enough to stay and fight. Can't show yer face around when you're that prideful and you and your political party have just taken it in the shorts. Can't stand tall and walk through there anymore with your self-respect intact. Gotta go bail outta there and lick yer wounds where hopefully nobody can see.

And Nancy Pelosi is STILL there. She's got class. And more balls than either denny OR boner have, combined.

[freshwest]

25. +1,000

[riqster]

26. ^^^This^^^

[jeff47]

12. A majority of any 15 members of the House can compel the others to meet.

At which point The Sargent-at-arms can arrest House members and forcibly return them to DC.

[Liberalynn]

4. I know there isn't

but I really wish there was a way the House could just be called in contempt and irrelevant to the process and just let the President and the Senate work out a deal, pass it on their own and sign it into law.

The Pukes would still be represented by their Senators so its not like it would be taxation without representation.

BUT AGAIN I KNOW THIS IS NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY POSSIBLE. It's just what I wish could be at this point.

I also know wishing does no good but I have to do something to let go of the frustration.

[kentuck]

5. But would the President do it?

I hope he does if they try to skip out of town before this issue is resolved.

[Fearless]

9. Them skipping town would be political suicide

The president would call them back and he would look like a hero... more so than so far even in this issue.

[ruffburr]

6. Is'nt that-

Abdicating their position as house members? I mean really at what point do we get out the pitch forks, At the very least those that leave should be rebuked

[freshwest]

11. The pitchforks will be in their own districts if they return, bowing to THAT MAN in the White House.

And THAT MAN is BLACK this time around. FDR set the precedent in 1933. It would be poetic justice for the new party of the Confederacy.

[freshwest]

10. ProSense, thanks for the best idea of the day.

It's already been done to the GOP before. They don't know history. So we'll repeat it to them a few times until it sinks in.

[ProSense]

24. You're welcome.

Think Progress is on it.

[TrollBuster9090]

13. In which case, HERE'S MY BEST CASE SCENARIO.

1. The House Republicans pass a steaming pile of shit in the form of a bill, pass it to the Senate, ADJOURN and skip town. Deliberately going into hiding so they can't be found.

2. Obama orders the House to re-convene, all the Democrats show up, but half the Republicans (the Tea Party Caucus) are all hiding. WHO CARES? They've got a QUARUM.

3. The Democrats are now in the majority, and pass a whole bunch of bills while the Republicans are hiding to avoid their legislative responsibilities. Boehner would still officially be the House Speaker, but if he doesn't want to table any of the Democratic bills, they just sign a giant DISCHARGE PETITION on the spot.

4. After the Democratically controlled House has passed a bunch of bills turning the United States back into a civilized country again, the Republicans return and tell their crackpot base: "Hey, don't look at US. This stuff all happened while we were away...defending YOUR rights!'

EVERYBODY WINS!

[munster69]

14. The latest House dead ender bill will go nowhere

Senate will send their version back to the house, boner will allow it to go to the floor for a vote tonight or tomorrow, it will be approved, stocks will go up 400 points, end of the crisis.

Wall street banksters WILL NOT allow their puppets to do anything else.

[ChangeUp106]

15. But it would make for such great TV

Imagine Bachmann, Gohmert, and Yoohoo in a van trying to outrun the authorities around the Beltway

[demwing]

18. that vision needs a banjo

Or a fiddle. YEE HAWW!!!

[dlwickham]

21. bless you

you just brought a huge smile to my face

[NYC Liberal]

16. Also, one house can't adjourn for more than 3 days without the consent

of the other:

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Thus if the House tried to go home, they'd need the Senate to go along (for any longer than 3 days).

[lastlib]

22. three days would be enough to do the damage.....

they could come back, lather, rinse, repeat, and skip out again. These bas-turds need to be impeached for dereliction of duty.

[SunSeeker]

17. K & R

[Scurrilous]

23. K & R