Time for Congress to Hit the Books

Doctors do it. Lawyers do it. Congress should do it too. Hit the books, that is, for Continuing Consitutional Education.

Doctors and lawyers are required to take x number of continuing legal or medical education courses every year to keep their knowledge and their licenses up-to-date. Teachers have to attend in-service meetings for the latest in educational requirements and trends. Since Congress is no longer a stent of public service but a professional career, senators and representatives should be required to take annual ethics courses and a refresher course in the Constitution -- at their own expense.

The first lecture in that course should be on the role of Congress and the separation of powers between our three branches of government. I have the perfect case study for them -- one starring Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chair of Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The stated purpose of this committee is to have oversight of government agencies that fall under "Energy and Commerce."

A seasoned congressman elected in 1992, Bart has turned his subcommittee into his own "cops and robbers" show. With no regard for the limited powers the Constitution gives Congress, Bart has set his subcommittee up to act as investigator, prosecutor, grand jury and judge all rolled into one. And it's not just federal agencies he's investigating. He's set his sights on private businesses and individuals.

Recently, Detective Bart instructed the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which answers solely to Congress, to set up an elaborate, unprecedented, undercover sting operation with sham medical clinical trials to trip up the private review boards that manage such trials. Now, Prosecutor Bart and his gumshoes are hauling these boards into congressional court to face -- you guessed it -- Judge Bart on charges along the line of abuse of public trust. (I think he should have to recuse himself on this one!)

Bart and the gang are trying to keep this quiet. When a reporter asked Bart's office when the PUBLIC hearings are supposed to be held, staff wouldn't say, implying that a date hadn't been set yet. The subcommittee's schedule wasn't much help either. All it shows is a Feb. 11 hearing on the salmonella outbreak. However, GAO staff informed the reporter that the hearing would be held March 26.

Bart definitely needs a lesson on the limits of Congress. And while he's hitting the books, he should read up on the definition of "PUBLIC hearings."

Perhaps we should create a whole curriculum for this course. Any suggestions?