Roy Blunt Supports Unconstitutional Budget

The Republican Congressman certainly seems willing to ignore the constitution when it suits GOP purposes. On February 8th President Bush signed a budget bill which "tightens rules for Medicaid nursing home eligibility to make it more difficult for those who have transferred their assets to their families or to charities to qualify for Medicaid." That bill passed the House by a very narrow margin, 216-214. But there's a problem. The House bill doesn't match the Senate version. So it is technically unconstitutional.

More from the Associated Press:

A clerk's mistake could mean a budget bill President Bush signed isn't technically law, but congressional Republicans said again Wednesday they have no plans to try to fix the problem.

Even though Alabama attorney Jim Zeigler has filed a lawsuit charging the $39 billion deficit-cutting legislation Bush signed is unconstitutional because the House and Senate failed to pass identical versions, House GOP leaders insist there's no problem.

"I believe that it's law," said House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

Not so, says Zeigler, a Republican activist.

"An eighth-grader in civics class knows that a bill cannot become law unless the identical bill passes the House and Senate and is signed by the president," Zeigler said.

That silly constitution. It always wants things so precise and accurate.