The Real Senate Would Never Have Stood for This

Our founding fathers had a very real reason that congress was set up the way it was. They reasoned that one body representing the people (The House of Representatives) and one body representing the States (The Senate) would make sure all voices were heard. In 1913, in our infinite wisdom, “We the People” decided to add the 17th Amendment to our constitution. The 17th Amendment stripped the voice away from the states and gave it to the people. Sometimes messing with what our founding fathers spent so much time designing has rather unsavory consequences. Now we are seeing the folly of such a short sighted Amendment.

Under the laws of unintended consequences comes the Nebraska Compromise. Ben Nelson (D) NE was told his state would not have to pay for any increases in Medicare funding caused by this horrible bill forever. It’s a great deal if you can get it and I don’t blame Ben one bit. However, one does have to wonder if the Senate still spoke for the states, would this have ever happened? I think not.

Look at it this way. Right now, the Senate is beholden to the people. Most of the people that will see the benefit of this boondoggle called healthcare are people that don’t pay taxes anyway, so why do they care? Remember, the people already have their voice heard in the House. Why do they need two sets of voices?

On the other hand, the States have no voice. If the Senators were beholden to the state legislatures that put them there, would all of the States represented by two Democrats have allowed this Ben Nelson compromise to go through? Some might have, but could you see the States of CA, AR, IL, MA, or even NY saying to their reps “Go ahead and vote for it, we don’t mind paying our Medicare bill even if NE doesn’t have to pay theirs. Hell, we’ll even pay theirs!” I’m sorry; I think it’s highly unlikely.

This may be the best reason yet that we need to repeal the 17th Amendment.

The States are stuck paying for every hair brained scheme cooked up by congress and they don’t have a say in any of it.