No House resolution honoring SEAL's bin Laden mission

[monster]

Originally Posted by Fair&Balanced

Its written in advanced, agreed upon in advance, read on the floor, no debate, then voted on.

So the people writing it in advance etc... what would they be doing otherwise, and how long does all the agreement process take?

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by monster

So the people writing it in advance etc... what would they be doing otherwise, and how long does all the agreement process take?

I would guess a staff person wrote it. One party leader's staff calls the other party's staff person, they both agree on it and take it to their party caucus lunch . Someone reads it while they eat their Navy Bean Soup so every member can hear it and its a done deal and in the Congressional Record.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Fair&Balanced

Wow.

Ten minutes to say "thanks guys" for the historical record is just too much.

ps
At the same time that Committees are doing the work of crafting and developing legislation. Multi-tasking.

That is why political pukes don't understand. Leave them alone. They don't want recognition. They don't get or expect medals. They don't want to meet with Obama. Do any of you understand what the hell clandestine or secret actually means? This action is about to totally fuck these peoples careers and take them away from what they love to do.

[monster]

Is it really, actually going to name them?

[Aliantha]

Merc, was that your old unit? I saw someone mention it somewhere else in one of the other threads. I was just wondering.

I'm assuming that if it was, then you'd be in a position to say what the men in the unit might and might not want. Right?

[TheMercenary]

Yea, all the more reason not to do it.

[monster]

You Americans sure like your official seals, titles and paperwork. I forgot that. For a moment. I will not ever forget what happened there, I will never look to a congressional record to remind me. I seriously doubt that without such a resolution to record the incident, it will be lost in history, but maybe it will be seen as more important to my grandchildren if that record exists?

[Big Sarge]

guys you need to listen to merc. he has been there and done that in real life. he speaks with the heart of a soldier. btw, merc is a retired field grade officer from jsoc. he more than likely personally knows personnel involved in this mission.

no politician took out bin laden. it was the guys on the ground who had the balls to squeeze the trigger. now i will climb down off my soap box and return to harassing the elderly

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by Big Sarge

guys you need to listen to merc. he has been there and done that in real life. he speaks with the heart of a soldier. btw, merc is a retired field grade officer from jsoc. he more than likely personally knows personnel involved in this mission.

no politician took out bin laden. it was the guys on the ground who had the balls to squeeze the trigger. now i will climb down off my soap box and return to harassing the elderly

These kinds of Thanks of Congress resolutions have been a practice since the American Revolution.

And Mercenary was completely clueless when he said it might compromise those guys on the ground.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Fair&Balanced

And Mercenary was completely clueless when he said it might compromise those guys on the ground.

Where did I say they would be "compromised on the ground"?

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Where did I say they would be "compromised on the ground"?

My mistake.

It might reveal something that goes on during these missions and ruining these peoples careers

Where in the Senate resolution would you say that happened?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Fair&Balanced

My mistake.

It might reveal something that goes on during these missions and ruining these peoples careers

And that is the truth. It draws attention to the unit, the missions, and the people. And they do not want or need that. Now every swinging dick independent reporter out to get a stringer on the NYT front page will be out head hunting these people. What should have happened is for the government to state what happened in the mission, never mentioned any details about anything, never told anyone what they did with the body, never told anyone they took pictures, and never told anyone what units were involved. The public has no right or need to know. The deed was done and if people don't believe them, tough shit.

[TheMercenary]

It makes them feel better. Like they are part of the operation. Like they contributed. They did not. No one believes it but those who voted for it or are too embarrassed to vote no, for fear they are recorded as not supporting the troops. These people could give a shit what Congress thinks.

[Aliantha]

Yeah, I've got to agree with monster here (although that's probably because we both come from countries with a similar political system).

Over here, the PM would simply stand up in parliament and make a speech about how everything went down and who deserves a pat on the back then sit down again. It'd be recorded in the hansard notes (a record of every word said in parliament) and that'd be it aside from normal military proceedures (whatever they might be).

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Yeah, I've got to agree with monster here (although that's probably because we both come from countries with a similar political system).

Over here, the PM would simply stand up in parliament and make a speech about how everything went down and who deserves a pat on the back then sit down again. It'd be recorded in the hansard notes (a record of every word said in parliament) and that'd be it aside from normal military proceedures (whatever they might be).

It is also entirely possible that a motion of thanks would be moved, seconded and then voted on with a show of hands. That might not happen in PMQ, but maybe in a cross party committee, which would then be reorded.

It happens in councils too, across the land. Like if there's been a major fire and the firecrews have really stepped to, there might be a thanks motion moved. It's agreed ahead of time by the party leaders and then voted on. It takes a few minutes.

But also, if as Fair&Balanced suggests, this is something that has been a practice since the Revolution, then it seems reasonable to do it now. If there is a precedent for it then to not do it is as much of a statement as doing it would be.