Monday, President Obama signed into law a piece of legislation that greatly broadened the reach and power of the Federal Drug Administration in how that agency deals with tobacco and smoking. With fanfare and talk of his own struggle with the addiction, it became law.
But there are several sections to this law that has no bearing on fighting smoking addiction. But everything to do with military members and family. These sections cover TSP participation, ROTH IRAs, how such accounts will be handled in the event of the death of the participant, subpoena authority, annual reports to Congress, and something on a special indemnity allowance for surviving spouse of military members.
This law is a classic example of members of Congress hanging un-related legislation into a bill. This is law is now a Christmas Tree, to use Beltway parlance as the military sections hang off the branches of the anti-smoking legislation. One of Congress' omnibus spending bills is a more extreme example of this process and the Stimulus bill is a glaring bloated uber-example.
Perhaps there needs to be a Constitutional Amendment stating that no amendments maybe added to a bill that is entered into the House of Representatives, passed and forwarded to the Senate for deliberation and passage if the amendment has no bearing on the original intent of the bill. We the People have got to stop this legislative monkey business before it harms us more.
3 comments:
Yeah, pork is alive and well, no matter what campaign promises "the one" made...
Legislation banning earmarks will never happen. That's how our Congresscritters stay in power.
I particularly love how most people don't know that Obama smokes and how patronizingly he signed this bill into law for the good of us plebs, despite his own addiction.
When in course of human events is all I am saying.
These people are unfit to be stewards of the public good.
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