The “Duh” Level of Congressional Understanding of English goes to the Supreme Court

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Richard H. McBee Jr.

Are we back to the “Duh?” level of Congresses understanding of the English language? Certainly it would appear so with the Republican Party again trying to use the legal system and court challenges when it comes to poking a hole to deflate the Affordable Care Act (AKA – Obamacare)? See p. 4 in Nov. 21 copy of “The Week”. It’s a four word challenge being put forth in one more attempt to chop up a program that 60% of us Republicans and 70% of us Democrats approve of and which seems to be getting better by the minute. Do we really have to stoop to the “Duh” level of our English language, so the world knows how poorly we understand the intent and meaning of a law we passed several years ago through due process in our country?

I believe the four words being challenged by Republicans are: “established by the state..” in the section of the law that refers to the eligibility for tax credits, doled out through a health care exchanges.

If we ask our English Teacher they might inform us that it appears that we must presume that the challenge is being made based on the definition of the word “state” within this four word sentence bite since we already know that the law itself was established by congress so the word “established” shouldn’t be a problem.

Let’s look in our Dictionary to see how the word “state” is defined!

Great Idea, but make sure you don’t waste a lot of time on the sub-headings of “state” that refer to such things as: “condition of the mind”, or “a phase or stage”, or station in life”…. No, stick to things that might apply to the Congress of the United States of America, not their state of mind as they wrote the law.

Ok, Well, Congress, isn’t that the “body politic” which according to Chamber’s Dictionary (1961) is one of the meanings of “state” :hence the legislature. So what’s the challenge? Obviously the law was established by The State. Or are we using another definition of the word “state”? Let’s look at some other possible uses of the word “state”.

Perhaps we are meaning per the same source “a republic”? Duh, I thought our Civic teachers taught us that the US was “a federal republic” back in High School. No? Shame on you!

Perhaps we are using the meaning “the legislature”? or the “civic power”? Gee these all appear to be referring to something that could be considered our Congress. No? So then what are we trying to get at here?

Aha! Looks like we want the court to define our word” state” very narrowly as in: “one of the constituent members of a federation” as in “the State of Texas, State of Oregon, …” etc.

Well, that could be, unless you bother to read the rest of the law which the State (read “the U.S. Legislature” [Congress]) already passed and which has already been ruled upon by our U. S. Supreme Court as being constitutional. Then you understand automatically that the word state here applies to the whole country, eg. the U.S. A.. and you don’t need to go back and forth bandying words when any High School Senior can tell you what the meaning of the word “state” is when it’s in context..!

Get a life Congress, and move on to solving another problem in our country to make it better rather than tearing up something that over half our country thinks was a great solution to health care for a lot of people.