Why be underhanded about this if you feel it’s killing internet gambling is a worthwhile cause, Dr. Bill? Have a vote on a bill just about that.
Frist Targets Internet Gambling
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is trying use a bill authorizing U.S. military operations, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit people from using credit cards to settle Internet gambling debts.
Frist, R-Tenn., and his aides have been meeting with other lawmakers and officials in both the House and Senate to get the measure attached to a compromise Defense Department authorization bill, according to a Senate GOP leadership aide.
The House passed a version of the Internet gambling measure in July, but the Senate has taken no action on similar legislation. Neither of the defense bills passed by the House and Senate mention it.
Frist is pushing for an approach that isn’t quite as sweeping as the House measure, said the leadership aide and lobbyists following the issue. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing negotiations.
Frist, eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, recently discussed the online gambling measure in the politically important state of Iowa. He also called it a legislative priority in a recent speech on the Senate floor.
The measure’s supporters include the National Football League as well as conservative and antigambling groups. Some banking groups are lobbying against it.
Federal officials have made recent arrests involving offshore companies operating Internet gambling sites. The Internet gambling industry is headquartered almost entirely outside the United States although many of its customers live in the U.S.
The bills authorizing defense programs are: S.2507 and H.R.5122.
Here’s about the House bill that passed in July.
Members of both houses of Congress like to attach unrealted things together. It makes for great negative TV comercials. Since a Person who had promissed to vote for XYZ, in order to do so also had to vote for soemthing they didn’t like, ZTX, and come election time the openent focuses on ZTX, saying “I would not have done that….” Or A person who said they would do ABC, but knows it won’t pass by itself slips into some “sure to pass” XTZ. So come election time can say “See I did do XTZ”
We need to make a constitutional admendment baring congress from producing a piece of legislation that deals with multiple issues, spefically non related ones. Make each thing they want to do have to stand on its own, and not get carried due to being in legislation that deals with something else…. Then hope they don’t try to figure some way out of the admendment… but it’s “our” government they will try…or just ignore it
John,
Forgive me for being totally off-topic,
[editor: you were]
They best not get rid of my PokerStars
…. This is so ludacris. The point is that the internet is international! It is not ment to be governed by anything but itself. Comeon the net is supposed to be the greatest thing to the black market since bulk discounts on Iranian made rockets!
I can’t beleive this. Its like a whole new drug problem that our government wants to get rid of, but all its going to do is bog down even more of the judicial system and keep them from hearing cases that really need to be heard!
This is so ludacris
Shizzle to tha nizzle.
It’s about money. Congress is paid . . . err, elected to protect the business interests within the country. They can’t let off-shore gambling cut into the profits of tax-paying, U.S. casinos.
#5This is so ludacris
Shizzle to tha nizzle.
Comment by xrayspex — 9/15/2006 @ 5:15 am
BWAhahahahahahahahaha!!!!
There is a connection between recent military spending and gambling, the odds on getting anything back from either expense are slim and none.
#1. A number of States have anti “logrolling” provisions in their constitutions to prevent just this sort of thing, which strikes me as a very good idea. At a minimum, appropriations bills should only have appropriations in them.