I wish I could keep this post relatively short (probably won’t, though), since my only point here is rather straightforward: the U.S. House of Representatives is a joke. OK, yes, everyone already knows this to be the case, so I am not exactly reporting on a new development. However, it’s important to keep reminding folks of this once in a while, particularly during an election year.

What’s the latest idiocy to come out of the House? Nothing we haven’t seen before, but the timing is ludicrous:

The U.S. House will debate legislation to authorize trade sanctions against China for currency manipulation as part of a package of measures to promote U.S. manufacturing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

The measure, sponsored by Representative Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, would authorize imposition of countervailing duties on China’s exports to the U.S. if authorities determined that the renminbi is undervalued by at least 5 percent on average for 18 months.

The measure, which would amend the 1930 Tariff Act that forbids subsidies of products imported into the U.S., would apply to all other foreign currencies.

Hoyer told reporters the legislation, still in committee, would be debated as part of a package of 18 to 20 measures designed to promote manufacturing. Other measures include tax credits to “expand manufacturing, job producing capacity here in America, for working men and women,” said Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat.

Right. To some extent, I’m wasting my time here. I doubt anyone is really taking this seriously anyway. But at the very least, it gives me the opportunity to vent. Let’s enumerate the glorious stupidity:

1. Everyone in the House will be re-elected this year and there is very high unemployment around the country, including in Ohio, where Mr. Ryan is from. These jokers think that the voters will reward them for this last-minute “We Care!” effort. Are the voters that naive? Probably.

2. The U.S. Treasury Department just this month determined that China was not manipulating its currency. To come out with legislation that contradicts the president (who is in your own political party) would be outrageous. (If they actually intended on passing this, which they don’t.)

3. This determination of currency manipulation would not be made by the Congress, but an agency. Maybe the Treasury Department. At this point, I would ask you to re-read #2 above.

4. If the entire legislative package is pushed as assistance to workers, it will never get anywhere in the Senate. There aren’t enough votes in the Senate to spend any money at all these days, and definitely not for working people.

5. U.S. firms that produce goods in China and export to the U.S. have never allowed, and will never allow, this sort of legislation to pass.

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been reading all those stories written over the past couple of weeks about how U.S. corporations have “turned” on China, withdrawn their support, and will now demand that their representatives in D.C. punish the Chinese for their evil ways.

Don’t bet on it. Sure, some companies are pissed off. Some CEOs, like our friend from GE, Jeff Immelt, are spouting off anti-China sentiment in public. But this is rare behavior that will not be repeated by anyone else in a position like Immelt’s.

U.S. multinationals have way too much invested in China at this point. Sure, they would love for the Obama Administration to negotiate aggressively and secure some concessions from Beijing. They are not happy these days and would like some help from the U.S. government.

But this is a far cry from imposing tariffs on their own goods made in China and destined for U.S. distribution. You think Wal-Mart (just to name one) will stand by while tariffs are slapped on a majority of their products? You think they just might have some influence with the two Senators from Arkansas (and who knows how many members of the House)?

This legislation, if it ever really gets debated, was never intended to see the light of day. I would be surprised to see it get out of committee, but even so, no vote for this junk in the House should be taken seriously, since it will be dead on arrival in the Senate.

This is a complete waste of time, pushed by members of the House from manufacturing states with high unemployment to give them something they can use in television advertisements during this Fall’s campaigning.

Absolutely stunning nonsense, which is unfortunately a common occurrence these days.