Teaching the Dems Parlimentary Procedure

The Democrats are so intent on forcing through their agenda that they've decided to just ignore the minority. Problem for the Dems is, the minority has ways to avoid being ignored:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House may have set a record getting people on the record.

Republicans angry over what they regarded as mistreatment by the majority Democrats retaliated Thursday by demanding roll call votes 53 times on one bill, a $64 billion spending bill for law enforcement and science programs next year.

They asked for votes on some two dozen amendments, even noncontroversial ones that passed unanimously.

Then they asked for revotes. Then they demanded votes on whether they could vote for a third time. Once they ran out of amendments they came up with a couple more revisions to the bill they could vote on.

No one was certain what was the most votes ever in a day, but several officials and lawmakers guessed that 53 was tops. One official in the Office of the Parliamentarian recalled a day in October 1988 when the vote total hit 40. Electronic voting, which has sped up the voting process, began in 1973.

The voting marathon grew out of a spat earlier this week on floor rules for the spending bill.

Traditionally, there are no limits to the amendments that can be offered to spending, or appropriations, bills. But when Republicans proposed more than 100 amendments to the bill, the first of 12 appropriation bills Congress must pass for the budget year beginning in October, Democrats balked, changing the rules to limit amendments and the time allowed to debate each measure.

Republicans were outraged. “To deny us our rights protected under the Constitution denies the American people their chance to say how much spending is enough,” said House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

“They cut debate off,” said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., during the vote-a-thon. “We’re just trying to use what options and things we have within the rules.”

“I’ve never witnessed this in my 40 years of association with this institution,” said Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., who four decades ago was a teenager following his father around, the former Rep. William Clay.

Clay said it was all part of the job, but for some Democrats the prolonged voting session cut into their attendance at a fundraiser where President Barack Obama was making a pitch for Democratic candidates.

That's how you get their attention. Keep it up, folks!