In the antebellum South, there were two kinds of laborers, separated by race. One was slaves. The other was wage slaves. Republicans see this time as an ideal in American history. They are now attempting to return us to those days with a bill sponsored by Tom “Any woman that hires me as her doctor is crazy” Coburn and Rand “Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot” Paul.
More than three-quarters of the Senate Republican caucus signed onto legislation introduced Wednesday by Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Rand Paul (R-KY) that could render it virtually impossible for Congress to enact any legislation intended to improve working conditions or otherwise regulate the workplace. Had their bill been in effect during the Twentieth Century, for example, there would likely be no nationwide minimum wage, no national ban on workplace discrimination, no national labor law and no overtime in most industries.
Like many Tea Party proposals to neuter the federal government, Coburn and Paul’s bill is marketed as an effort to bring America back in line with a long-ago discarded vision of the Constitution. It’s named the “Enumerated Powers Act of 2013,” a reference to the provisions of the Constitution outlining Congress’ specific powers, and it claims to require all federal legislation to “’contain a concise explanation of the specific authority in the Constitution’ that is the basis for its enactment.”
The key provision in this bill, however, would revive a discredited interpretation of the Constitution that America abandoned nearly eight decades ago. Although the text of the bill is not yet available online, a press release from Coburn’s office explains that it “[p]rohibits the use of the Commerce Clause, except for ‘the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or the transporting for those purposes, across boundaries with foreign nations, across State lines, or with Indian tribes.’”… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
Saying that they don’t like the commerce clause so they will prohibit its use is be as absurd as saying they don’t like the right to vote right to vote to they will prohibit it. Of course, they are trying to do that too.
I’m sure this bill is not going anywhere, but it serves to illustrate who the Republican Party represents. Don’t believe the argument that it’s only for show. Consider all the outlandish schemes that people used to claim were only for show and are now the law in places like North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, etc. Republicans MUST be removed from power.
13 Responses to “The Republican Plan for Workers”
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The Republican Plan for Workers – SLAVERY. That legislation is unspeakably vile. Thanks for the alert TC.
YVW, Pat. Vile indeed!
So they want to neuter our government? Must be they were neutered because they just follow their masters like eunuchs.
LOL!! Everyone, take your Republicans to the vet! 😈
"Rand “Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot” Paul." ~ LOL ~ you do make me laugh, Tom – and in this day and age, that's not easy! One does run out of good descriptive names after awhile with these Repuglicans…. I've grown quite tired of banana brains and monkey farts but The GOP defy description sometimes….
Thanks Yvonne. I find humor to a great way to make ideas stick. 😀
Arielle
Those sound about right… 🙂
Amen, Richard!
LOL!
I seem to recall, but correct me if I am wrong, that some of the GOP were trying to use the Commerce clause against Obamacare. I just can't remember exactly how.
They can't have it both ways.
Nonetheless, the Republicanus/Teabaggers are a bunch of useless twits whose brains wouldn't fill a thimble even if they were stacked one on the other. If the GOP get into power, the US will be a third world country.
We nearly are a third world country now, mortality rates for child birth and infants is tragic. We have more people in prison than any other country in the world. The only thing we lack is a coup for the Republicans to declare we are a theocracy.
Lynn, Obama said that the commerse clause justified the individual mandate. House Republicans sued andx took it to SCROTUS. SCROTUS decided that the individual mandate is legal, bot because of the commerse clause, but as a fee or tax.
Also, what Edie said!
I am sure both my grandfathers, who worked so hard for coal miners to have a living wage and safety regulations are rolling in their graves at this latest attempt by the Tea Party to turn us into a slave nation.
…and because Repunlicans have gutted their living wage and nixed their safety regulations by unbderfunding the regulators.