“A POLITICAL GUNFIGHT”
by Joseph DeMaio, ©2019
(Mar. 8, 2019) — Well, as if there were already not enough things to fret about these days – from the unchecked invasion (thank you, Democrats and Paul Ryan…) of tens of thousands of illegal aliens per month over our southern border, to the media-sanctioned rising tide of anti-Semitism in the Congress to the crushing of free speech on the campuses of institutes of “higher learning,” add this one to the list: https://townhall.com/columnists/justinhaskins/2019/03/08/democrats-plan-to-steal-the-senate-in-2020-create-new-states-n2542816.
There is now pending in the House H.R. 51, a “resolution” concocted by congressional Democrats which would grant statehood to that 68-square mile area which today we call “Washington, District of Columbia” by creating “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth.” Let us call it the “State of WDC.” Since under Art. 4, § 3, Cl. 1 of the Constitution, the Congress may admit new states into the union, subject to the approval of the residents therein, the abstract authority to accomplish this addition of one more star to the flag is clear.
However, the real reason for the gambit, of course, would be to also add two additional senators and one representative to the Congress. If, as any sentient observer would see, those two new senators to be appointed by the “Governor” of WDC were… wait for it… wait for it… Democrats (I know…, I know… hard to even imagine…), that would greatly shift the present balance of power in the Senate from the GOP to the Democrats.
Moreover, with more than a few feckless Republicans presently occupying their seats, the potential would exist for wresting control of the Senate away from the Republicans altogether and placing it into the hands of, say, Chuck Schumer. Or Dick Durbin. Or Elizabeth Warren. Yikes. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the potential that another state might be admitted – the State of Puerto Rico – likely further diluting GOP power.
This is not to say, of course, that GOP “leadership” in the past has been a model of skill and prowess compared to the Democrats and that all GOP actions have been praiseworthy. Far from it. But look at it this way: do you think the nation would be better off had the Democrats gained control of both the House and the Senate in 2018? Had that happened, President Trump would likely by now have been on his umpteenth veto and the nation would be well on its way to becoming the Venezuela of the North.
The Democrats appear to be dead serious about moving forward with H.R. 51. As of March 5, 2019, the resolution had 200 co-sponsors, all Democrats… including: AOC – (“Always on Crack”) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan (“It’s All About the Benjamins”) Omar; and Rashida (“Always Play the Race Card”) Tlaib. It would be difficult to assemble a collection of intellectual misfits more befitting of an effort to grant statehood for The Swamp than the aforementioned. But they are trying.
Conservatives, take heed: as noted here, if the Democrats want to play hardball, how about a 110 MPH fastball? Since the Democrats want to increase the number of states in the union in order to gain more seats in the Senate, why cannot Congress (while it still controls the Senate) pass a bill increasing the size of the Supreme Court from the present nine to thirteen? A simple amendment to 28 U.S.C. § 1 would suffice. Since there would be four additional “open” seats, President Trump could nominate four new young, conservative justices and the Senate would (hopefully) quickly confirm them. Rest assured, with Sen. Lindsey Graham now sitting as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the spectacle we witnessed when Justice Kavanaugh was crucified would not be repeated.
As for the objection that this is “court-packing,” so what? Recall that the most recent usurper of the presidency – the “Guy from Hawaii” – always subscribed to the rule that it is imprudent to bring a knife to a gunfight. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…, we are in a political gunfight right now.
And as for the argument that the House of Representatives would never vote for such a proposal, why not adopt the ploys and arguments used by Nancy Pelosi back when the comically-mislabeled “Affordable Care Act” was rammed through the House without its even being read by those voting to pass it?: “Members need to pass the bill in order to find out what is in it.”
Utilizing that same strategy, it would be a simple task to change the word “nine” in 28 U.S.C. § 1 to “thirteen,” add the amendment onto some 4,306-page bill already moving through Congress and tell everyone to “pass it then read it to find out what is in it.” Simple…, no? And if the Democrats miss the change…, well…, they should read bills more carefully before signing off on them. Just sayin’.
Memo to America: buckle up, because the next few years could be a roller coaster ride you will not soon forget. And be sure to bring a barf bag.