Following a runoff election in Louisiana this past weekend, the GOP secured the last open seat in the US Senate, giving Mitch McConnell a 52-48 Republican majority. Contrary to claims that say otherwise, this “victory” was actually a loss, as the Republican majority was 54-46 before the election. But in a world where a 5% increase in taxes instead of 10% is considered a “cut,” this type of spin should hardly be a surprise.
To the Constitutional Conservative however, the so-called good news of a GOP-controlled Congress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, particularly when the leadership in the House and Senate remained the same. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are fully responsible for Obama’s successful implementation of numerous unconstitutional executive orders, higher taxes, and exploding budget deficits. And there’s little evidence they will govern any differently now that a so-called Republican is in the White House.
Needless to say, the consequences to America are absolutely frightening, as we witnessed last week.
Using the same “behind closed doors” approach we’ve come to know when Congress is about to do the wrong thing, the GOP-controlled House passed a bill that gives the Department of Justice authority to establish an electronic tracking system designed to keep tabs on people with mental illnesses 24/7. The bill, H.R. 4919, passed 346-66 under a suspension of the rules–meaning no hearings or amendments.
Known as “Kevin and Avonte’s Law”–named after two children with autism who wandered off and drowned–the bill carries severe implications to the “American people’s freedom,” at least that the opinion of Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) as expressed in his official statement detailing why he voted against the bill. (emphasis mine)
“While this initiative may have noble intentions, ‘small and temporary’ programs in the name of safety and security often evolve into permanent and enlarged bureaucracies that infringe on the American people’s freedoms. That is exactly what we have here. A safety problem exists for people with Alzheimer’s, autism and other mental health issues, so the fix, we are told, is to have the Department of JUSTICE, start a tracking program so we can use some device or method to track these individuals 24/7.
“I know the feeling of having someone I love dearly having degenerative mental abilities that create concerns for her getting lost. It is immensely heart-breaking. But, the answer is not more federal money and a federal system in place for monitoring people’s location all day every day. It is yet another well-intentioned program that catapults America down the road toward a Big Brother –more invasive than Orwell could have imagined.”
Gohmert went on to chastise his fellow Republicans for their blindness to “government overreach,” and how this measure passed in the Senate without ever really being voted on. He concluded his statement with these words: (emphasis mine)
“Benjamin Franklin’s attributed quote is, ‘Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither.’ The government is not supposed to be our ‘big brother.’ We must examine other ways to help those who cannot help themselves. There is nothing in the law anywhere that I am aware of that would prevent a parent or guardian from having some reasonable tracking measure right now before this new law is even signed.”
“Once again, Republicans can feel good that 167 Republicans out of 246 in the House joined with the Democrats to create a way for the Attorney General of the United States to track their children when the government gets ready to include them in the program.”
Better fasten your seat belt fellow Conservative, because on January 20, 2017 Washington, DC will be under complete Republican control after Trump is sworn in. When you add his ignorance of the Constitution to the mix, the threat to our rights cannot be overstated.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative, your source for opinion that’s politically-incorrect and always “right.” His articles can also be found on RedState.com.
His daily radio commentary is nationally syndicated with Salem Radio Network and can be heard on stations across America.
