As Republicans, and especially Democrats, put on a show of brinksmanship last Friday, pretending to go \u201cdown to the wire\u201d in a face-off to determine whether the federal budget would be slashed, slashed to a Draconian degree (in fact, not even Republicans were any longer holding out for a 1 percent cut, while spending reductions of 10 percent or more would be required to start paring down the debt and freeing up capital for private-sector expansion) the airwaves were full of instructive rhetoric.<\/p>\n
Representatives who believe there\u2019s no dream of the mendicant class that government is not required to service with ever greater fervor — primarily congresswomen from welfare-heavy urban districts, though even our own Sen. Harry Reid got into the act — brayed that even the minor nail-trimming now proposed would \u201ckill women,\u201d would \u201cthrow women and children under the bus,\u201d was part of a long-term Republican \u201cwar on women,\u201d etc. (Actual quotes.)<\/p>\n
Sen. Reid seemed particularly concerned that — should the federal government go through the hollow pantomime of closing down a few museums and national parks — no woman in America would be able to figure out how to obtain \u201ccancer screening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course, this was all a carefully orchestrated Punch-and-Judy show. It\u2019s doubtful many of the posturers believed half what they were saying. But the \u201cservices\u201d singled out for the wailing and moaning were nonetheless instructive.<\/p>\n
Turning to Article I Section 8 of the Constitution — the powers of Congress — do we find \u201cThe Congress shall have Power to fund the gynecological and other health care of the poor\u201d? \u201cTo fund abortions for those who find it inconvenient to pay their own medical bills\u201d? \u201cTo feed the elderly and the children of unmarried women?\u201d<\/p>\n
Is there truly no other source of funding for \u201ccancer screening\u201d in America but federal bureaucrats? Americans can\u2019t pay cash for these services?<\/p>\n
(The question is not whether cancer screening is good, but whether it\u2019s a responsibility of the central government.)<\/p>\n
In fact, we find none of these \u201cservices\u201d listed under the things Congress is authorized to fund. Furthermore, every one of these moaning members swore an oath just three months ago to \u201cprotect and defend\u201d a Constitution which states \u201cThe Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.\u201d<\/p>\n
They could have said, \u201cNo, I decline to swear an oath to defend that outdated product of white male slave-owners — I\u2019ll be back when you repeal the Tenth Amendment.\u201d Couldn\u2019t they?<\/p>\n
Meantime, did we hear any representative warn that a \u201cgovernment shutdown\u201d might leave us without the federal courts, without the Navy and Marines? Without the services of the mint, the post office, or the patent office?<\/p>\n
Of these legitimate and authorized federal functions, not a word.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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