WILL YOU SURVIVE THE 1,900 PAGE TUMOR?
James Wilson Assistant Communications Director DownsizeDC
It seems like the more the American people demand that Congress slow down and read its bills, the more Congressional leaders arrogantly counter with mammoth legislation they want to pass in a hurry.
The latest example is the 1,900 page healthcare monstrosity the House leadership unveiled last week. They want a vote on it this week!
I believe they're overreaching, and helping to build our movement.
This is what I wrote in my personal comments . . .
Congress passed the Patriot renewal bill in 2006, only to discover later that someone had inserted a provision allowing the President to appoint U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval. This year, Congress passed the stimulus bill with the AIG bonuses.
Nearly everyone in Congress was shocked when they learned what they had passed. This happened because Congress didn't read these bills before they voted on them. This is irresponsible.
Will you ever learn?
Now the House leadership wants a rapid vote on a 1,900 page health care bill. This isn't just irresponsible, it's crazy. This so-called health care bill has become a cancerous tumor. Plus, as usual, I'm sure there will be last minute insertions that will surprise everyone once they're exposed to the light of day.
The best protection against all this insanity is DownsizeDC.org's Read the Bills Act (RTBA). Unlike watered-down proposals currently being considered in Congress, the RTBA will allow the people to read the final versions of bills for seven days before a vote. It will also require each member of Congress who votes yes for a bill to swear that they've read it -- goodbye to the claims of shock when the actual contents of a bill are actually implemented.
Behind the "read the bills" movement is the understanding of the American people that the legislative process is un-representative, ignorant, and distasteful. Members of Congress who continue to ignore this problem will fuel a bigger and louder backlash.
END LETTER
You can send your letter to Congress here.
We also invite you to add your website or blog to the Read the Bills Act Coalition. Membership will help build awareness about RTBA, and in return we will list your site on our main page. You can learn more at the DownsizeDC.org site.
Today we welcome 2 new members to the Coalition:
Finally, last week Congress passed a total of 15 bills amounting to 525 pages. You can see what bills were passed below my signature in the blog version of this Dispatch:
http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/healthcare-and-read-the-bills-will-you-survive-the-1-900-page-tumor
Thank-you for being a DC Downsizer.
James Wilson
Assistant Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org
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