That said, the past few days have demonstrated how eager U.S. lawmakers are to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities entirely. House leaders — or, should I say, “leaders” — have reportedly welcomed the release of the “pocket rescission” paper, because it gave them a roadmap to lower federal spending without lawmakers having to vote on spending reductions. You know, the thing that taxpayers pay them to do.

The whole episode makes Nancy Pelosi’s “we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it” seem trivial by comparison. It also illustrates how Congress has transformed into an episode of The Simpsons, where lawmakers’ posture on reducing spending amounts to “Can’t Someone Else Do It?”

In that sense, the “pocket rescission” strategy would not only constitute a major change in the relationship between the executive and legislative branches. It also would let lawmakers “off the hook” and absolve them for their role in creating an unsustainable federal budget — an absolution they do not deserve.