tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966265797906043497.post6300936394183875964..comments2024-03-26T16:39:21.906-07:00Comments on Very Dumb Government: Neutered Newt Helped Cause the Economic CollapseUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6966265797906043497.post-86909263007740786352014-04-15T17:47:35.618-07:002014-04-15T17:47:35.618-07:00The main thing that bothered me about NAFTA was th...The main thing that bothered me about NAFTA was the way it was passed. Specifically, I'm referring to the House's involvement, and the simple majority mustered for passage.<br /><br />NAFTA, as far as I can tell, is a TREATY. What is a treaty? It is an agreement amongst two or more nations, is it not? Does that not constitute a good, solid definition of a treaty? I think it does. As such, does it not fall solely under the Senate's purview, per Article II, Sect. 2 of the Constitution? Does the House have, WRT the Constitution, any role to play with regard to treaties? No, it does not. However, this was never mentioned, let alone discussed, in the national media (I refuse to call them 'mainstream', because there's nothing mainstream about them).<br /><br />Secondly, when one reads Art. II Sect. 2 of the Constitution, it says that: 1) the Senate is to give 'advice & consent' to the President when it comes to treaties; 2) that 2/3 of the Senators present had to concur. Note that this does NOT say 1/2+1, a simple majority; it says 2/3! This was another problem with NAFTA's passage that was never, ever mentioned, let alone discussed, in the media-conservative or otherwise. If it were, I never heard it.<br /><br />Those are my humble thoughts. NAFTA was not passed in a proper, Constitutional manner. It was illegal because both houses of Congress were involved, whereas the Senate is the only part of the legislature that has purview WRT treaties. It was illegal because a simple majority in both houses passed it. Uh, whatever happened to the requirement that 2/3 of the senators concur?MarkyMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02710045100037253902noreply@blogger.com