Manzullo votes to punish AIG execs who got bonuses; bill is unconstitutional!
March 20th, 2009 at 12:31am Chuck Sweeny
Shame on the House of Representatives! The congressmen passed a blatantly unconstitutional measure Thursday designed to calm the people with pitchforks demanding the heads of AIG execs who are divvying up $165 million in bonus payments. The U.S. government now owns 80 percent of AIG, thanks to billions in bailout money that saved their sorry assets.
The House members voted 328 to 93 — Don Manzullo voted yes — to slap a 90 percent tax on the executive bonuses.
This violates the Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which specifically bans bills of attainder and ex post facto laws.
A bill of attainder singles out a person or group for punishment without trial. Congress is seeking to punish AIG execs. Tomorrow it may want to single out scuba divers or people with purple hair.
An ex post facto law is one that makes illegal something that was legal when enacted. The bonuses paid were legal. Congress cannot make them retroactively illegal or, by extrapolation, enact a punitive 90 percent tax on them.
This bill is expected to die in the Senate. Stop monkeying with our Constitution, congressmen.
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10 Comments Add your own
1. Egyas | March 20th, 2009 at 1:34 am
I must say, for the first time I\’m disappointed in Mr. Manzullo. I have been a shameless cheerleader of his, but he\’s wrong on this one. They knew these bonuses were going to happen before they gave away the money (these companies have a history of doing this), they should of addressed it then. Voting for a CLEARLY unconstitutional law (in at least 2 different ways) is the WRONG way to go about it.
2. Don | March 20th, 2009 at 6:24 am
not to mention the 14th amendment due process clause…the bill is fatal on its face…what a red herring !
focus on the real ball here…failure of congress to protect the taxpayers…and help themselves…’frankly’ speaking
3. echo4charlie | March 20th, 2009 at 7:18 am
I agree. It is foolish, and a waste of taxpayer funded time. These bonuses were contractual, and owed whether we like it, or not (and I, for one, don’t like it). It iwll cost more when these executives sue AIG (and hence, the US) for breach of contract. The US didn’t review/revise existing executive contracts when they “snapped” up 80% of AIG. Someone posted a youtube clip of Congressman Don Manzullo chewing out Interim Assistant Treasury Secretary Neel Kashkari (?). Although he’s “saying” the “right things”, I’ve never seen a less passionless or badly acted display of concern for “the people” as our Congressman displayed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP73cK3GXdo
That’s nobody’s fault but our government’s, and I feel like those who let those “miniscule” details slip by are trying to cover their own butts.
Congressman Manzullo has developed a fairly loose grip as of late, and I really expect(ed) better from him. If his latest few years of performance are any indicator of what is to come, I think we’re in for a bumpy ride.
4. Monkey | March 20th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Then, by all means, let’s keep re-electing him.
5. echo4charlie | March 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
That’s what it seems like, doesn’t it Monkey?
He either runs unopposed, or, not enough people care to vote differently. This year, I think more people just chose to live with the guy to keep a Rupublican where they could (in the Congress).
I think that he was useful once, but, I feel those days are gone.
6. Pete | March 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I think you protest too much. The bill was retroactive to the beginning of this tax year (Jan 1). If fact, some are attacking this bill because it doesn’t go after $55 million in bonuses given last December! Regardless, a person subject to this tax would pay it after they got their W-2 form next January. I think you’d have a case if the bill went back into 2008 in which the person would have to refigure their income tax bill for this year There have been numerous times in our history when retroactive tax bills were enacted into law but as long as the beginning date was within the same year as the bill was signed into law, the courts have held that they were not bills of attainder or ex post facto laws. It’s obscene that as autoworkers are being asked to accept lower pay and benefits as part of their contract renegotation in the effort to be part of the “team” to save their auto company, we can’t ask some self-restraint on the part of financial services executives not to use taxpayer money to pay themselves large bonuses. Nevertheless, I think this issue is moot in that I’ve read that many of these individuals are voluntarily giving back their bonuses.
7. Pete | March 20th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
P.S. Thanks for the link echo4charlie. I viewed the video. I thought he did an excellent job. We should be proud of our Congressman.
8. snuss | March 20th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Quote: This year, I think more people just chose to live with the guy to keep a Rupublican where they could (in the Congress).
It is beginning to look like there may be a lot more Republicans after 2010, at the rate the economy is going, under Obama’s “Spendulus” plan. The continuing incompetence being displayed by the his administration isn’t doing much for him either. His White House spokesman has almost as much credibility as Baghdad Bob.
Glad B.H.O. found enough spare time to be on the Tonight Show.
9. Monkey | March 23rd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Umm, President Obama has been in office for 62 days and is attempting to clean up a mess that he INHERITED. Give him a little more time.
And, I think it’s fine that he’s on the Tonight Show and getting out and about in America. He obviously has the ability to multi-task. Does he really need to be bunkered down in Washington 24/7?
10. Harley Lowrider | March 28th, 2009 at 4:18 am
If he didnt want to INHERITE anything he never should have ran for the job then !
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