Attempt To Roll Back Internet Gambling Prohibition Fails In House Committee

An amendment that would have prohibited the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve from creating regulations to enforce the ban died when the vote was tied 32-32. 29 Democrats and 3 Republicans voted for the amendment while 28 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted against it.

Why doesn’t the government trust you to play a few hands of online poker? For the children of course.

The ban requires financial institutions to stop processing payments for online betting sites. But banking industry officials complained the regulations would be onerous and might force them to reject otherwise lawful transactions.

On Wednesday, Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., who led the effort to defeat King's amendment, downplayed those complaints.

"The banks have decided that this is a financial burden. We have decided, on the other hand, that our children are worth protecting, and the cost of protecting them is worthy and worthwhile," Bachus said.

Apparently parents never quite enter into the equation.

God help me but I agree with…I can’t bring myself to write it, so let’s just say in this case I agree with the guy quoted below.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who sought the nomination for president this year, said individuals should be allowed to spend money any way they want.

"Over many years, I've come to the conclusion that when we depend on our government to make ... decisions on how we act morally and economically, the government messes up," Paul said.

Amusingly, regulators are apparently having a hard time writing regulations that will actually work. Naturally, that didn’t phase 28 Republicans who are so worried about ‘the children’.

My guess is a lot of those Republicans will be losing this November so perhaps this will be worked out next year. No, I don’t think they will be defeated because of this vote but what’s the point of being a Republican if you vote for big government nanny state legislation?

How funny is it that Barney Frank and the Democrats are on the side of individual freedom against House Republicans? And by funny, I mean maddeningly depressing.

h/t The Corner

posted by DrewM. at 12:17 AM

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