Do you remember the absurd dog and pony show Republicans staged at the beginning of the 112th Congress reading the Constitution? They couldn’t even get that right, and it shows, because it clearly made no impression on them. And do you remember the Republican House rule that every bill in Congress must include its Constitutional justification. In RepubliSpeak, “rule” is defined as something for someone else to follow. They don’t care to follow their own rules. The Government Shutdown Prevention Act shreds both the Constitution and the House Rules.

House Republicans who promised to restore a rigid interpretation of the Constitution were accused Friday of attempting some constitutional gymnastics. With GOP leaders locked in a budget stalemate with Senate Democrats, the House tried to ramp up the pressure by passing the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. A portion of the bill sought to ensure that lawmakers and the president have their paychecks cutoff, just like other federal employees, if the two sides failed to reach a budget deal before an April 8 deadline. The provision was similar to one that already passed the Senate. The rest of the bill was less conventional. Another section tried to revive a House spending plan that was killed by the Senate last month. Under the resolution passed Friday, the dead bill would come back to life and become law, without the president’s signature, if the Senate does not pass a bill funding the government for the rest of the 2011. The Senate would need to act by Wednesday. The bill was an attempt to draw attention to the fact that House Republicans have passed a spending plan, while the Senate has not. (The Senate held votes on both a Democratic proposal and the Republican proposal, and both died.) The Senate is not likely to take up the bill… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <LA Times>

According to the Sunlight Foundation, Republicans also violated their pledge to give 72 hour notice for all votes.

Now, these Republican fools don’t seem to realize that unless a bill passes both the House and the Senate and also receives the President’s signature, it does NOT become law. This attempt to make HR1 law, based on the House vote alone shreds the Constitution.

As for the Senate, Democrats hold the majority, but cannot pass a majority bill there because of ongoing Republican filibusters.

Speaking the day before yesterday’s vote, Oregon’s Peter DeFazio mocked the Republican majority.

The ridicule could not be more deserved.

Republican Mike Pense tried to terrorize America with hostage threats.

He wants Democrats to cave-in.