# Why don't we just disband Congress now? (Auto bailout) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 19, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952 "2008-12-19T18:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/1 "2008-12-19T18:32:59Z")
Maybe I’m misunderstanding this. Someone tell me if I’m missing something. 1. Congress is supposed to control the government’s money. 2. A bill in Congress to give the auto companies 14 billion in loans did not pass. 3. Bush is going to give the auto companies [17 billion dollars](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28311743/) in loans. If we disband Congress now, think of the money we could save. They’re not doing anything useful. ---
**Author:** ![haymarketmartyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@haymarketmartyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haymarketmartyr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/2 "2008-12-19T18:45:14Z")
This is an easy one. Bush is allocating most ofthat money from the TARP funds which Congress has already voted for and legally authorized to be used with fairly wide latitude. There is nothing wrong with this. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/3 "2008-12-19T18:48:01Z")
> [@haymarketmartyr](#): > > This is an easy one. Bush is allocating most ofthat money from the TARP funds which Congress has already voted for and legally authorized to be used with fairly wide latitude. > There is nothing wrong with this. I thought that money was authorized for “major financial institutions.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/4 "2008-12-19T18:48:06Z")
Unless you think maybe Bush ought to listen to what Congress is trying to tell him, in which case, there’s maybe something a little bit wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/5 "2008-12-19T18:51:57Z")
> [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](#): > > I thought that money was authorized for “major financial institutions.” It was. Bush issued an executive order declaring that he was disregarding that part of the law. ---
**Author:** ![haymarketmartyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@haymarketmartyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haymarketmartyr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/6 "2008-12-19T18:54:28Z")
That has been the position of Paulson from the start. But it has now changed. I do NOT have the law in front of me … however, from discussions on TV with the talking heads, they claim that the bill gives Paulson fairly wide latitude in how to use the funds. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/7 "2008-12-19T18:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > As of December 12, 2008, the United Auto Workers and others have suggested that the Treasury use TARP funds to effect a bailout or bridge loan for the US auto industry, which has thus far been unable to get bailout funds after two direct appeals to Congress. President Bush has stated he is open to the use of TARP funds to support the auto industry. > > **However, the Treasury currently lacks the statutory authority to direct TARP funds to the automakers under the statute passed by Congress.** TARP is clearly limited to “financial institutions" under Section 102 of the TARP. Suggestions for providing TARP funds to automaker’s financing operations, such as GMAC, runs counter to the intent of Congress for limiting TARP funds to true “financial institutions” in the first place.[8] On December 19th, 2008, President Bush used his executive authority to declare that TARP funds may be spent on any program he personally deems necessary to avert the financial crisis, and declared Section 102 to be nonbinding. Source: [Troubled Asset Relief Program - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Emergency_Economic_Stabilization_fund) In simple terms, it’s another case of Bush acting without authority, Congress doing nothing about it, and the American People too stupid to care. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/8 "2008-12-19T18:59:10Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > It was. Bush issued an executive order declaring that he was disregarding that part of the law. Which leads right back to the question in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/9 "2008-12-19T19:01:11Z")
> [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](#): > > Which leads right back to the question in the OP. Well, they could impeach him, but honestly, that would probably be a waste of time at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/10 "2008-12-19T19:02:16Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Well, they could impeach him, but honestly, that would probably be a waste of time at this point. Well, they don’t seem to have much else to do… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/11 "2008-12-19T19:04:50Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, they don’t seem to have much else to do… You want to make them work on the Christmas recess? Man, that’s just mean. ---
**Author:** ![haymarketmartyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@haymarketmartyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haymarketmartyr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/12 "2008-12-19T19:52:04Z")
Does anyone here have any doubt at all that if Bush refused to do anything with these funds, that it would merely be a waiting game until Janunary when the new Congress comes in? The terms then would probably be much mroe favorable to both the corporations and the unions. I suspect Bush and the Republicans saw some small opportunity to have at least some of their concerns heard this way. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/13 "2008-12-19T20:07:50Z")
Congress is usually still working on the budget into the lame duck session. If they’ve got that done and aren’t willing to act against Emperor Bush’s latest outrage(s) then hell yeah, let them adjourn _sine die_. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/14 "2008-12-19T20:12:39Z")
Probably the first GOOD thing Bush has done in his entire tenure as President… ---
**Author:** ![guyblond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@guyblond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guyblond)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/15 "2008-12-20T07:28:42Z")
Bush and the republicans in congress are playing good cop/bag cop with the unions… IMO ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/16 "2008-12-20T09:12:14Z")
> [@guyblond](#): > > Bush and the republicans in congress are playing good cop/bag cop with the unions… IMO Remember that the Congress Republicans opposed the bank bailout too. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/17 "2008-12-20T13:46:51Z")
> [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](#): > > Maybe I’m misunderstanding this. Someone tell me if I’m missing something. What you’re missing is that the failure of the auto bailout wasn’t that of “Congress” as a whole – there’s ni such animal. Rather, Congress is made up of 535 individuals, including a very few asswipe filibustering Republican senators who killed the bill that everyone agreed was both necessary and wise (including plenty of House GOP members). They did this, and in so doing got hundreds (thousands?) of autoworkers laid off right before Christmas in order to advantage the non-unionized plants of foreign manufacturers located in the South. So the solution is not to disband Congress, but to get rid of a handful of GOP senators who are willing to put Americans out of work and risk another Great Depression because they don’t like the things that come with unionization – like a living wage and worker safety. And we already did that – we just have to wait two more weeks for them to be sent home. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/18 "2008-12-20T14:01:40Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Well, they could impeach him, but honestly, that would probably be a waste of time at this point. But it was only a minority in Congress that opposed the auto bailout. How would that minority impeach him for something the majority was in favor of? In fact, Congressional leaders (ie, Democrats) have been begging Bush to do this. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/19 "2008-12-20T14:11:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But it was only a minority in Congress that opposed the auto bailout. How would that minority impeach him for something the majority was in favor of? In fact, Congressional leaders (ie, Democrats) have been begging Bush to do this. Well, the impeachment wouldn’t be for bailing out the car companies. The impeachment would be for bailing out the car companies using money he was statutorially required to spend in another way. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952/20 "2008-12-20T17:48:14Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > …because they don’t like the things that come with unionization – like a living wage and worker safety. So employees of Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and other such companies don’t get a living wage or work in safe conditions? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-just-disband-congress-now-auto-bailout/477952.md?page=2)