House Republicans Continue Vendetta Against Common Sense

The title is bold and perhaps inflammatory but consider the following week's news:

• House Republicans see timely target in Planned Parenthood
  
• House Republicans seek to block FCC Internet rules
• Killing Big Bird: GOP budget would end PBS / NPR funding
  

Common sense has clearly fled the Republican House.

Consider Planned Parenthood.  They support family planning particularly focused on low income Americans a group of Americans that are suffering disproportionately in almost any measure of wellbeing including both health and jobs.  Among Planned Parenthood's activities is support of legal abortions.  Many Republican ultra conservatives are staunchly opposed to abortion.  Despite 30 years of legal challenges and attacks the Supreme Court decision on Row v. Wade remains the law of the land.  Ultra conservative Republicans don't like this law.  Faced with a failure to change the law they decide to put Planned Parenthood out of business.  Never mind that the vast majority of Planned Parenthood's activities are family planning not abortion related.  Never mind that Congress is supposed to be about law not using funding to bludgeon those that disagree with you out of existence.  Never mind common sense.

Consider the FCC Internet rules.  These support net neutrality and require that broadband providers not restrict access to legal internet sites.  House Republicans think that this limits broadband providers ability to make a reasonable profit.  What this really amounts to is to provide a mechanism by which a broadband provider and gain a monopoly in the  most profitable internet services.  To achieve this the  House decided to forbid the FCC from using Federal funds to implement it's recent net neutrality rules.  Never mind that these rules are well within the FCC's charter.  Never mind that this is once again about using funding to bludgeon the FCC when Congress hasn't passed a law to block the actual FCC rules.  Never mind common sense.

Consider NPR/PBS funding.  It is arguably true that NPR and PBS are left of center politically though many note that they are also rather attached to fact and balance.  NPR and PBS offend the ultraconservative Republicans.  So since facts and balance are in the way, lets just censor them by using funding to put them out of business.  Never mind that most of what NPR/PBS does is not about politics but about education.  Never mind common sense.

Common Sense hopes that when this and other assaults gets to the Senate that these and several other bits of outrageous defunding will be undone.   Common Sense also thinks that the next house election can't come soon enough.