House GOP shuts down Dem speaker Jim Moran in pro forma session

[cal04]

Last edited Tue Jan 10, 2012, 06:37 PM - Edit history (1)

House Republicans on Tuesday declined to recognize a House Democrat who was trying to speak about the need for Congress to quickly resolve its differences about how to extend the payroll tax cut.

(snip)
Still, Moran argued afterwards that his inability to be recognized is a "new low" from Republicans.

"Speaker Pro Tempore Robert Aderholt refused to recognize me on the floor and in a dramatic show of Republican authority, leadership cut off the microphone during the Pledge of Allegiance and kept them off afterwards when I asked to be recognized," he said.

"The 160 million Americans who need an extension of the payroll tax cut deserve to have their voices heard. The temporary extension expires in just a few weeks. The American people have a right to hear from Members of Congress on the House floor."

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/203371-gop-again-shuts-down-dem-speaker-in-pro-forma-session

[sharp_stick]

1. So are these assholes ever coming back to work

or is this the SOP for the next session?

No wonder they have the worst approval ratings in history.

[Scuba]

2. If those 160,000,000 need to be heard, they should hire some lobbyists and stuff some cash...

... in the right pockets.

[gratuitous]

3. This after Republicans complained about all the work they had piled up last month

This month? Pro forma sessions to maintain the fiction that they're not really in recess. Someone like Moran stands up and proposes that the House do some, you know, work, and he's gaveled down without ever being recognized.

In a country with a functioning news media, we'd hear about this front and center on the evening report. Instead, we'll get breathless coverage of New Hampshirners making little x's on pieces of paper in a pointless exercise of "democracy" that no two people will be able to assign the same significance.

[backscatter712]

4. On the bright side, that plays into our hands.

On one hand, the Republicans are going apeshit about Obama recess-appointing Cordray to the NCPB, claiming they weren't in recess, but at the same time, they refused to let the Democrats or anyone in the House conduct any business during the seven seconds between gavel-in and gavel-out.

They can't have it both ways...

[Tx4obama]

5. Same thing happened last week when Clyburn and Pelosi were on The House floor, see below

Article and video on the link below

Boehner’s office cuts C-SPAN video again as House Dems protest
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10175224

[ddeclue]

6. Sounds like the House wasn't in session and Obama should be making some more recess appointments

if the microphones are off and no one can speak...