We will fight with all we have against every single enemy of our country or Constitution, be they foreign or domestic.Lead By Example?
Until recently I was unaware of the number of laws that Congress has exempted itself from. I always assumed there were a few, but from their very own web site I found a whole gaggle. Just like any civilized aristocracy or dictatorship, you can’t have laws inhibiting those who hold the reins of power.
To put it into the simplest of terms, the Legislative and Executive branches of the United States Government are above the law.
They can trade on insider information. 18 U.S. Code 208, prohibits government officials from participating in any matters in which they have any personal financial interest. However, the statute does not apply to any elected officials of the Federal Government, so Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, and Federal judges are exempt. A member of Congress who hears something at lunch about the military buying a new piece of hardware can go up to their office and buy stock in that company before the news gets released and really clean up. Nice. And legal, for them. If you or I did that, we’d end up in the cell next to Bernie Madoff.
OSHA does not apply to the Legislative and Executive branches. They can work their employees as many hours as they want without paying overtime and in whatever conditions they deem fit. There are articles about how the Congressional Folding Room was a total sweatshop until the press got a hold of the story.
They are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. If you file a suit against a member of Congress and want any sort of documentation…well, you’d just better get over that one. Not going to happen. Do you want to know what’s going on behind that locked door where they are making plans to shred the health care system? Get used to disappointment.
Congress can ignore Title VI of the 1964 Act prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. If a member of Congress doesn’t want Jews, Black people, Hispanics or women in their office, they don’t even have to make an excuse. Similarly, the 1975 Age Discrimination Act bans all arbitrary age distinctions…yeah, they don’t have to deal with that one, either.
The National Labor Relations Act, guarantees the right of employees to form, join, and assist the collective bargaining of labor organizations and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection. The Act also protects the right to strike. Does that mean that the UAW can’t strike now that the Feds are calling the shots?
The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 prohibits employers from utilizing lie detectors except as expressly permitted by the Act. The Act does not apply to the United States Government, therefore it does not apply to employees of the Congress. Does Congress have a little interrogation room tucked away from the cameras? “Mr. Anderson…have you been calling Glenn Beck?”
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 governs all aspects of employee benefit plans established or maintained by employers, labor organizations, or both. It does not apply to any plan established or maintained by the U.S. Government. Therefore, it has no application to Congress or the executive branch. IRA’s for the aides? 401k’s for the folks in the mailroom? Not.
They are even exempt from certain aspects of the Ethics in Government Act, which you have to admit is pretty ironic.
It goes on and on, people. I cut out quite a bit from this post simply because it was getting too damn long and I hate throwing around anything that takes more than an inch of coffee to read.
Any way you look at it, this is total BS. And while our Fearless Leaders are busily destroying the country (Oh, and you can bet money that Congress and the administration will be exempt from the DeathCare legislation as well) they can sleep well at night knowing that they aren’t subject to the laws that they impose upon the average American.
Liberty and justice for all…
