The list of riders attached to the budget bill H.R. 1 is pretty ugly.
However, one thing I started to realize as I went through the list of prohibitions against funding, is that none of this changes the actual law. For instance, one rider:
Prohibits funds to carry out the medical loss ratio restrictions in the health care reform law. These provisions require insurers to spend at least a certain percent of their premium revenues on medical care.
But they haven't repealed the Health Care bill at all. And if this goes through and then the medical loss ratio restrictions are phased in - a court will have to do the work on a case by case basis. Because it's still the law, right? Am I crazy?
Other riders range from "well of course" to "huh?"
Blocks funds for the Federal Communications Commission to institute Net Neutrality rules.
gee, whose interests does that serve?
Bans foreign aid to Saudi Arabia.
Really? Republicans are for this?
Prohibits funds to provide nonrecourse marketing assistance loans to mohair farmers.
huh?
Prohibits funds for UN construction within the US.
That's no surprise.
Prohibits funds to pay the salaries and expenses of the following “czars,” or special presidential advisers who are not required to go through the Senate confirmation process: Obama Care Czar, Climate Change Czar, Global Warming Czar, Green Jobs Czar, Car Czar, Guantanamo Bay Closure Czar, Pay Czar and Fairness Doctrine Czar.
There's a fairness doctrine Czar?
There are more, most aimed at prohibiting the funding of the Health Care Reform act. And of course the famous ones that
Prohibits funds to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., or any of its affiliates.
and all the ones that prevent the EPA from protecting the citizens from pollution in the air and water. And you can forget about the whole global warming thing - even if the laws are on the books, no money to enforce the rules means more green house gasses go unregulated -- until someone sues. I suppose a lot of these regulations could be handled through the Department of Justice, although that seems like it will cost us and the corporations a lot more money.