Tag Archives: amendments

Is This the Year of the 14th Amendment?

Is 2010 shaping up to be the year of the 14th Amendment?It could be argued that the 14th Amendment, along the free expression Amendments within the Bill of Rights, serves as the aorta through which our constitutional values flow.More… Continue reading

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Losing in Afghanistan

Last week, the House of Representatives voted 215-210 for $33 billion to fund Barack Obama’s troop increase in Afghanistan. But there was considerable opposition to giving the President a blank check. One hundred sixty-two House members supported an am… Continue reading

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Big Footsteps for Elena Kagan

The U.S. Senate begins its consideration of the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court on June 28th, just two days after the seventh anniversary of the high court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas. The juxtaposition of these ev… Continue reading

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GOP Blocks Two Key Anti-Wall Street Amendments

Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from voting on two amendments Tuesday that are strongly opposed by Wall Street.

Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top-ranking Republican on the Banking Committee, rose to object to a vote on one of the most talked-about amendments, cosponsored by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Levin-Merkley would ban commercial banks from trading for their own benefit with taxpayer-backed money.

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The Week Wall Street Became Politically Radioactive

The tide has dramatically turned in favor of financial reform. As the Dodd bill has worked its way through the Senate, many Republicans joined Democrats to approve strengthening amendments that were politically unthinkable just a few weeks ago. Several more will be considered next week, prior to final passage.

This fight is not over, either short term or long term. There are several weakening amendments as well as more toughening amendments still to come next week. The financial lobby is fiercely fighting derivatives reform, and wants to weaken the right of states to go beyond federal regulatory minimums. Nor will the cleanup be complete with this bill.

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What’s Still Worth Fighting For On Wall Street Reform?

Last week, Congress decided it would not confront Too Big To Fail, the single gravest threat to our collective financial security. But there are still several key Wall Street reforms worth fighting for–reforms that must be enacted before the next crisis hits, with or without a big bank break-up. And fortunately, key Senators have authored amendments dealing with each one.

Blanche Lincoln’s Derivatives Bill

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The Al Capone Solution for the Blackwater Problem

Despite years of arguing, the state of legal frameworks for private military companies remains unclear. This is for a variety of reasons; using inapplicable laws, such as those for old style mercenaries, questions of jurisdiction, lack of resources, and questions of political will.

To try and clarify the existing, confusing, legal status quo a number of news laws and amendments to existing laws, both nationally and internationally, have been proposed in recent years. Some are undoubtedly beneficial, while others are yet to be tested by inevitable appeals.

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Harry Reid Pushing For Majority Vote On Wall Street Reform

A simple majority of the Senate will be all that is required to adopt an amendment to Wall Street reform, if Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) gets his way.

The recent tradition in the Senate has been to require, by unanimous consent, that amendments need 60 votes to succeed. The framers’ intention was never to require a super-majority: Otherwise, why would the vice president be given the power in the Constitution to break ties? No final decision has been made, but Reid weighed in on the side of a majority vote on Tuesday morning.

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Ten Lies About Health Care Reform

Health Care Reform is a government take-over of the entire health industry.

Nope. That is what the Democrats, and to varying degrees, the president, intended; however, without single payer and with no public option, this is merely an expansion of the existing system loaded with extra taxes to defray national debt and provide more invasive oversight and regulations, some of which are needed badly, while others are overreaching. But it is a far cry from anything socialist or what countries in Europe and Canada have adopted. For one, doctors will not be working for the government, nor will hospitals be nationalized. But beware. Anytime law invades the private sector, amendments and expansion of said law are almost guaranteed.

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Sen. Bob Corker ‘Abandoned’ By GOP Leadership Over Bank Reform Outreach

Republican Senator Bob Corker left no doubt Wednesday that Republicans missed a big opportunity to influence what is perhaps the most ambitious financial reform bill to pass through the Senate since the Great Depression.

Republicans declined to offer any amendments during Monday’s scheduled mark-up of the bill, choosing instead to vote against sending the legislation to the Senate floor strictly along party lines. It passed out of the Senate Banking Committee with 13 Democrats in favor and 10 Republicans opposed.

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