It’s been a busy week in Congress. Former President Jimmy Carter ended the work on health care by proclaiming the nation racist. Problem solved. No need to waste more time there.

Instead, members voted this week to restrict the First Amendment and expand the Second Amendment. That is probably a noble way to celebrate Constitution Week — by violating it.

In its infinite wisdom, members approved a resolution of disapproval against Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., for his shouted “You lie” during President Obama’s health care speech last week to both houses of Congress.

A copy of the official resolution posted on the Fox News Web site reprimanded Wilson for “a breach of decorum (that) degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House.”

The vote to formally shame Wilson was 240-179.

USA Today reports Wilson isn’t the first member to have such a resolution aimed at him. In 2007, the House voted 196-173 to table a resolution to censure Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., after he suggested that then-president George W. Bush enjoyed U.S. casualties in Iraq.

So it’s OK to criticize a Republican president on the House floor but not a Democratic one. Jimmy Carter probably has some racially motivated reason for that, too.

Someone has to be kidding, right? To say that Wilson’s ill-advised comment discredited the House should leave some mouths hanging open, considering all the silliness engendered by the ninnies on Capitol Hill.

Lord, have mercy. It can’t be any more a breach of decorum than members of Congress enjoying exotic trips paid for by special interest groups that invest in their campaign coffers. It can’t be any worse than the partisan schoolyard taunts shouted across the aisle any time any bill gets introduced.

It can’t be any worse than members’ regular sexual exploits splashed across TV screens on an almost-daily basis.

Americans should start a petition for a resolution of disapproval against the entire sorry lot.

Mark Twain said, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

Someone needs to remind members of Congress that their oath includes a promise to uphold the Constitution.

That includes the right to free speech, regardless of how idiotic one may think that speech is.

And the unparalleled rectitude with which members felt compelled to sanction Wilson is funnier and more bizarre than a book of “The Far Side” cartoons.

One is left to long for the good old days when members caned one another over their disagreements.

Then, those in Congress got to feel a little of the pain they meted out to their constituents.

Also this week, the Senate voted by a 2-1 ratio to allow guns in checked baggage on Amtrak. Of course, Amtrak has no security system in place to comply with the mandate, CNN reported. The House has yet to approve the measure.

If approved, the national train system gets six months to build the security system or lose its federal funding, a move that would kill the rail carrier.

And Joe Wilson is the poster boy for actions that degrade the proceedings of Congress?

Not by a long shot — even with a gun stashed in the cargo bay of Amtrak’s The Cardinal.

— Young is a Register-Herald columnist. E-mail: ynerissa@verizon.net.

© 2009 by Nerissa Young