Ever since the mid-1990s, the House of Representatives have operated under an informal governing principle known as the Hastert Rule, a rule that required a “majority of the majority” in order to pass legislation. Simply put, the rule meant that the Speaker of the House would not allow a floor vote on a bill unless a majority of the party in charge supported the bill, while preventing the minority party from passing legislation unwanted by the majority.
This practice came to an end under Gutless On Principles (GOP) Hall of Shame member John Boehner, and it served as the perfect excuse to wield his iron hammer on a few conservatives.
John Boehner punished three fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives when he kicked them off of one of his leadership teams after they voted against party leaders last week on a set of rules necessary to advance Obamatrade. Boehner made it clear to members that he was very unhappy, saying:
“We’re a team and we’ve worked hard to get in the majority, we’ve worked hard to stay in the majority, and I expect our team to act like a team.”
Gee, it’s just too bad Boehner wasn’t all that concerned about being a part of the team when he led the way in passing the bill that fully funded the Department of Homeland Security a few months ago. After pledging to withhold that funding unless Obama reversed his unconstitutional executive amnesty, Johnny Boy caved and made sure it passed. It was the ninth time he allowed a piece of legislation to pass without the majority of his party since becoming the House Speaker.
Boehner’s stab-in-the-back of his fellow Republicans isn’t a one-time occurrence, it’s just the most recent. In fact, he’s administered his “obey me or die” punishment on three total occasions over the past two years.
The three rebuked Republicans showed more class than their leader when they issued statements of support for the RINO leader, which is actually a big part of the problem in Washington. For far too long the establishment Republicans have given Boehner a pass for his spineless, anti-conservative behavior.
John-boy has stated publicly that he doesn’t hold any concern about his failure to operate using the Hastert Rule — he claims it was never a rule in the first place, garnering him the support of Democrats when it threatened his powerful position.
So why does Boehner punish those who vote their conscience instead of playing politics ahead of their constituents? I think we all know the answer to that question.
