Question for DUers

[malaise]

Can a current Congress pass laws that cannot be overturned by a future Congress?
Isn't this either all unconstitutional BS?

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Seems pretty unconstitutional to me.

But then what would I know? :)

[NightWatcher]

2. The whole Star Chamber, er I mean Super Congress is BS.

But hey, who cares, right?

[MineralMan]

3. No, they can't. Anything passed by one Congress can be

replaced or repealed by a later Congress. Congress cannot bind a future Congress to anything. Happens all the time. So, we need to make sure to regain control of the House in 2012, and expand our majority in the Senate. Nothing is more important. President Obama will do just fine and will be reelected. Our attention needs to be focused on Congress and state legislatures.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. As you said, anything passed by one congress can be replaced or repealed

by a later congress.

Which means that passing a bill that is 100% cuts with no revenue does not 'save' SS - particularly when it sets up the mechanism for its dismantling down the road. It means that the Bush tax cuts expiring is NOT guaranteed.

It means that making concessions today for gains in the future is a losing proposition.

We been fucked.

[MineralMan]

13. Nothing is secure that can be changed in Congress.

That means that anything Congress does is temporary. That's what makes every congressional election so important. We seem not to remember that sometimes, like in 2010.

Did you think legislation was permanent? Really?

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Quite the opposite - that's why we should NOT compromise away our

advantages today for the sake of future legislation.

How many people have you seen on this forum saying "don't worry about the revenues - the Bush tax cuts are going to expire."

Bullshit. When that time comes we will have to fight AGAIN to let them expire, because the repukes will once again hold something else hostage, with the cuts as the trade off. You MUST know that is going to happen.

This is not going to change so long as we continue to be "bi-partisan" and look for agreement and conciliation. When THEY are in charge they NEVER do that - why should we?

Obama is playing a great chess game, but he's NOT playing for our side.

[NYC_SKP]

4. For matters left only to the Congress and Executive, anything can be un-done.

In theory.

In practice, it's a different matter.

If the judicial gets involved, it's a whole new ballgame.

But funding something during one term, for example, can be completely unfunded in the next.

And tax breaks, in a different example, could similarly be passed and then later eliminated.

:hi:

[SoCalDem]

5. That's why we never get anywhere, because they are always undoing

or trying to, undo what others before them have done..and when that fails, they have their lackeys around the country challenge law in courts and push those cases to their other lackeys on the SCOTUS..

If they cannot totally undo something, they can always underfund it to death or pull threads until it falls apart and becomes meaningless.. Row v Wade is a prime example of this.. It;s still a "law" but state by state, it becomes more and more irrelevant.


Our government is one step forward, three steps backward..

[Myrina]

6. I have another question:

One of the talking heads last night was commending the ability to make future additional cuts to discretionary/domestic spending ... what happens once all of that spending is cut to the bone & the military is the only thing LEFT to cut?

Will it finally happen then? Will the M.I.C. finally get off the teat?

:shrug:

[Uben]

8. I doubt it

There are whole cities whose economy is based on that military spending, not to mention the amount of lobby money flowing from that source.

[malaise]

9. The military is pork

You are right

[asjr]

7. Aren't laws on the books being amended

at times? If Democrats win back the House and the presidency in 2012 can these foolish things that are being run through be amended?

[snooper2]

10. No, of course not..

[brooklynite]

11. The "Super Congress" is not binding on a future Congress...

...all they have to do is pass a new law. Whether that's LIKELY is another question...