This is why people my age don’t vote. Instead of Congress actually getting things done, they hobnob around their chambers and stick stupid amendments into important bills in order to have a grand pissing contest. And, as usual, the victims are the unseen and unheard who need certain appropriations, funding, or defense.
Such is the case with the current defense bill. While the bulk of the bill is needed to fund operations overseas, the bill is being held up as Senators (rightly so) question the impact of some fine print. In question is an amendment that allows military chaplains to offer sectarian prayers at public events. For example, an army chaplain could pray “in the name of Jesus” at a high school graduation.
Petty? Yes. Worth fighting over? Yes. This measure needs to be defeated and the bill not passed (despite its need) to state clearly that if any elected official tries to stick crap on important bills that look like they’re going to pass, well, it ain’t gonna fly!
I say, fire a shot over the bow so that Representative Hunter (R-CA) and crew learn not to try and piggy back any more evangelical bullcrap on top of stuff that needs to get done to run a country.