Here’s something we’ve never done before. We’re going to flat out quote from a Republican party press release. And due to today’s extreme circumstances, we’re happy to do it.
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) requesting that the final health care votes be recorded by “call of the roll” so that every lawmaker is required to publicly announce their vote on the House floor.
“This weekend’s votes will be among the most consequential votes we will ever cast as Members of Congress,” Boehner says in the letter to Speaker Pelosi. “As such, it is my belief that every Member should stand before the American people and announce his or her vote as the final decision is made.”
According to the rules of the House of Representatives, “Unless the Speaker directs otherwise, the Clerk shall conduct a record vote or quorum call by electronic device. … The Speaker may direct the Clerk to conduct a record vote or quorum call by call of the roll. In such a case the Clerk shall call the names of Members, alphabetically by surname.”
The problem here is that Boehner addressed his letter to “The Honorable Nancy Pelosi” and the thinking here is that she may be confused by the term honorable.
Seriously. At what point does reality overwhelm tradition and hoary, honorific titles get relegated to the trash bin of history?
Source: GOPLeader.gov
