Congress Uncategorized

Boehner Raises the Debt Ceiling on DOMA Spending

The House of Boehner previously raised the expense-cap for their $520 per hour lawyer Paul Clement, who was hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court, from $500,000 to $750,000, and now the cap has been tripled to $1.5 million.

The U.S. House has tripled the cost cap for the legal expenses of hiring a private attorney to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court to reach a potential total sum of $1.5 million.

According to recently approved contract modification dated Sept. 30, House General Counsel Kerry Kircher has agreed to pay Bancroft LLC private attorney Paul Clement a sum not to exceed $750,000 to defend DOMA, but this cap may be raised to $1.5 million under written notice.

“It is further understood and agreed that, effective October 1, 2011, the aforementioned $750,000.00 cap may be raised from time to time up to, but not exceeding, $1.5 million, upon written notice of the General Counsel to the Contractor specifying that the General Counsel is legally liable under this Agreement for a specific amount,” the contract modification states.

Paul Clement was also recently hired by Governor Nikki Haley to defend South Carolina's Voter ID law on behalf of South Carolina taxpayers at a rate of $500 per hour.

Both South Carolina's voter suppression law and the Defense of Marriage Act have been designated unconstitutional by the Department of Justice.

Why do the Republicans hate the constitution? Why is it okay to arbitrarily raise the spending cap for defending prejudice but not for helping the sick and poor or the victims of natural disasters?