The Opaque Congress

The Energy and Commerce Committee in the US House of Representatives is one of the Committees that maintains jurisdiction over the Obama Health Care bill.

To Nancy Pelosi, that doesn't mean squat.

In yet another brazen act of arrogance, the Speaker is foregoing Congressional protocols and ignoring the process by bypassing the E&C Committee in order to bring Health Care to a vote next week.

Why? Blue Dog Democrats that populate the Committee promised to block it.

Transparency? Ethics? Who needs those when determining how to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars, right?

The crazy thing is, this isn't the first time she's done it.

• Cap and Trade? She bypassed the Ways and Means Committee.
• The FY09 Omnibus? Referred to the Budget and Approps Committee, pulled, then rushed to the House floor.
• PAYGO legislation? Referred to the Budget Committee where they had one hearing before pulling it out for a vote. Who needs a markup, right?

And now we have a better understanding of why Obama was unable to convince the Blue Dogs to support the HC legislation when he met with them earlier this week.

It's because they've lost all trust in the Speaker. She's screwed them over time and time again.

That's not how you run Congress.