Human Events: Ensign Takes Down Goliath, Round One

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Every taxpayer should send Sen. Ensign a thank you note today.

By raising a budget point of order, forcing senators to vote on breaking the bank for $500 BILLION black hole entitlement spending, Ensign effectively killed the asbestos bill — for now.

The bill, that lacks any medical criteria, is a corporate bailout for companies that can’t cover expenses for workers with asbestos-related illnesses.  Instead of the companies being accountable, taxpayers will be footing these bills if Sen. Specter and Sen. Leahy get their way.

The bill did not advance beause 60 senators did not vote in favor of busting the budget to finance the bailout.  But, it did get 58.  Sen. Inouye, who was absent, has signaled he favors reckless entitlement spending and will support it in a recount.  So, that’s 59.  Sen. Frist, in order to save the bill voted against it on the floor so he could bring it up again later with a procedural technicality.  That’s 60.

Off the Hill, conservative groups like FreedomWorks and the National Taxpayers Union “key voted” in support of Sen. Ensign.  FreedomWorks Chairman and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey told Human Events, “Sen. Ensign stood tall for taxpayers yesterday.  We don’t have a limited government majority in Congress on many issues, so our side has to use mastery of the process and tactics to slow the growth of government and stop bad legislation like S. 852.”

Many people don’t fully understand the bill because it isn’t breaking on party lines.  It’s breaking on money lines, that aren’t labeled with an R or a D after the name.  It’s a strange situation where those kneeling at the trial lawyer trough are on the same side of the good conservatives.

Freedom lovers like Ensign, DeMint and Sununu don’t believe in entitlement spending and voted against the point of order.  But so did money-hungry Democrats like Levin, Landrieu and Stabenow whose trial lawyer contributors will make more money suing corporations on behalf of their clients rather than just letting their clients get a check from the government.

This is why the barrage of asbestos ads you’re seeing on TV don’t make much sense and it’s so confusing.

The high stakes battle has about as much drama as one could ask for on Capitol Hill with both sides lining up major ad buys, filming spots in cemeteries and even getting war vets to stump for their side.

But get ready for round two.

When this comes up again, it’s more important than ever that Republicans get the fiscal watchdogs to block the bill.  Sen. Coburn, who is making hay counting earmarks, voted in favor of the bill because he believes its flaws can be fixed.

Somebody please send him a letter before this hawk turns into a chicken.

This article appeared in Human Events on Feb. 15, 2006.  To read more stories in Human Events go to their website at www.humanevents.com.