CongressDays.3

Congress Day 3 - Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Initial committee internal hearings, and then floor debate for 10-15 minutes. We then watched a 13-minute excerpt of LBJ's "We Shall Overcome" speech, given before a joint session of Congress on 15 March 1965, and then brainstormed how to put a Voting Rights Act into legislative language, and compared it with the provisions of [|the real act].

Section 01:
Legislation proposed, debated, and voted on:

Energy & Commerce proposed the Social Security Act, setting the retirement age at 62, providing for widow's benefits after age 60, instituting Medicare and Medicaid, and paying for all of this with a 6% tax increase. There was no debate on this measure.

Foreign Affairs proposed raising troop levels in Vietnam from 2,000 to 16,000 to support South Vietnam (this would have been in 1963, and technically they were still called "military advisors" then). Debate was contentious: the proposal is costly. There are pressing domestic concerns. An eight-fold increase dramatically changes the nature of the conflict. The proposal was subsequently modified down to a total of 8000, gradually, and with the assurance not to send so many if progress in Vietnam was noted.

Education & Labor proposed an 8-hour workday/ 40 hour workweek, above which employees shall receive overtime pay. They argued this would create jobs, permitting (for example) one additional shift each day in factories that produce 24 hours a day, and that it would benefit workers by permitting them more family time. This proposal assumed the prior passage of a raise in the minimum wage, to compensate for fewer hours. In debate, the low unemployment rate was cited as one possible reason why this legislation is unnecessary.

Agriculture proposed a Child Nutrition Act, to provide free breakfast in public schools for low income students, to benefit their learning. It would be paid for out of income taxes. In debate, it was pointed out that this meant that the working class was funding free meals for the lower class.

__Voting Rights Act for Section 01__

Citizens, regardless of socioeconomic status, gender, or race, shall not be barred from voting in any way. Poll taxes are hereby made illegal. Violation of this act shall be a federal crime. Penalties for violation of this act shall be: first offense, a fine determined by the Justice Department; second offense, jail term of 5-10 years and removal of the offender from any position of authority over voting; third offense, jail term of 25 years to life. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is responsible for the investigation of violations of this act. A federal election official shall be present at every polling place where such investigations deem likely for violations to occur.

Section 06:
Intelligence proposed to create a new agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, to consolidate military intelligence and to serve as the source of intelligence for the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff under unified command. In debate, this proposal was accused of duplicating, or undermining, existing military & intelligence agencies. It was amended that Army and Navy intelligence would be exempt or would join without reorganization. Intelligence Committee promised that there would be no job losses due to this restructuring.

Armed Services proposed, regarding women in the military, to lift the current 2% ceiling on women officers, and to permit them to be promoted to the highest ranks, including General and Admiral, although without permitting them to serve in combat. An early vote on this measure was tied, and debate was re-opened, whereupon the contention was raised that this would allow women who had not been battle-tested to command men of lower rank who might have considerably more combat experience. Some members of Congress forcefully objected that this would negatively affect military morale. And this was seen as a slippery slope to women's rights, when society had a clear interest in protecting women from combat. The Armed Services committee was actually divided on the issue--each member supporting the proposed legislation for different reasons. One member was committed to the principle of female equality, in which this legislation was an intermediate step, while the other favored giving military "clerical jobs to the fairer sex" under this lifted quota, which would free up more servicemen for combat duty. The second vote was overwhelmingly against this proposal.

__Voting Rights Act for Section 06__

Citizens of the US shall not be limited in their ability to vote by sex, race, creed or religion. This law shall apply in elections for any office. Any attempt at prohibiting a US citizen (who are otherwise eligible under the law) from exercising the right to vote shall be met with swift action against the voting official. Such action will include removal from their position, and they shall be subject to further indictment. Federal protection shall be provided at polling places. "Voting" shall mean not only the act of casting a ballot, but shall also include the opportunity to understand the ballot and the election procedures, and each person shall be allowed to make an independent decision. Illiteracy shall not be a means of voter restriction. Protection of voting rights shall extend to other political action, including (but not limited to) marches, peaceful protests, and assemblies. There can be no change of venue, procedure, or voting roll without federal oversight.