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242 Comments
- Shwaavay, on 07/06/2009, -15/+166Just like the article says, Nancy and Harry won't be bothered with details like letting people judge the legislation before a vote. They have an agenda to ram through!
I truly believe that voting yes on a bill that you haven't read is a dereliction of duty and those who do it should lose their pay, not to mention their seat. - kemp34, on 07/06/2009, -20/+154Didn't Obama promise an "era of transparency"?
- Bagos1, on 07/06/2009, -18/+120Go Nancy! Thank goodness we all have her there!
Complete and utter sarcasm...and disdain. - ConcernedCanuck, on 07/06/2009, -10/+105...otherwise known as: Business as Usual.
- rw2y, on 07/06/2009, -19/+111This seems suggestive of the last days of the Roman Republic, perhaps
- vbullinger, on 07/06/2009, -12/+95Glad to hear a completely controlled media source like the Washington Times reporting on such a serious matter. Only problem with this is that the submitter - whose articles I really appreciate and usually Digg - seems to indicate that this is new; that the practice of voting on a bill you haven't read is something that Nancy Pelosi brought in. B.S.! This has been going on for a long, long time. Still Digging it, but I'm just saying that they're just continuing age-old policies.
- h8f8kes, on 07/07/2009, -6/+74You know, the "he started it" crap has got to stop. We get it, this has been happening for a while. The bottom line is it needs to stop.
- cersad, on 07/07/2009, -10/+71It's a problem that definitely predates Pelosi. Michael Moore mentioned it in Fahrenheit 9/11, which was during the apex of the Bush administration, and interviewed a congressman about it. I'm certain there are plenty of other times this was exposed in the past as well. The bottom line is that it's a problem that needs to stop, and it's one that's been going on a looooong time. The solution isn't as easy as just sacking Pelosi, even if she is pushing such measures to the extreme.
Similarly, the pledge in the article shouldn't just read "[...] I will not vote to enact any healthcare reform package that: 1) I have not read, personally, in its entirety..." but instead try "I will not vote to enact ANY LEGISLATION that: 1) I have not read, personally, in its entirety..." for a better fit.
We're paying our congresspeople's salaries, so I'd think we have the right to expect them to put their full effort into knowing what they vote into law. Maybe if everyone started pressuring their senators and representatives to read their laws more carefully, and voted out those who didn't, we'd see change. The problem is that no one votes out their incumbent representatives. It's great job security. - TCSavant, on 07/06/2009, -13/+69He promised change, but never bothered to clarify whether it would be good change or bad change.
- justok, on 07/07/2009, -2/+48So transparent that you can't see it.
- Hillsfar, on 07/07/2009, -3/+47We need a new law:
1. Each piece of legislation to be voted on must be completely within 5 pages. Amendments can only increase it to 10 pages.
2. Each legislator must sign each page indicating they have read each page.
3. Each legislator must write a 5 page commentary in their own handwriting indicating what their position is on the legislation and why they intend to vote the way they do.
4. Each piece of passed legislation sunsets in 5 years unless passed by 75%.
We would have very few laws, but they would be the truly essential ones. - gn84, on 07/07/2009, -4/+42It's an ongoing problem, though it does seem to be getting worse and more egregious.
- ConcernedCanuck, on 07/06/2009, -14/+52I'm pretty sure he said an END to transparency
- gn84, on 07/07/2009, -5/+42@teamd
Given your grammar and reasoning skills, Obama's clearly doing a fantastic job with your education. - ConcernedCanuck, on 07/07/2009, -6/+43and promised us that we would HOPE.... and BOY are we HOPING!!!
- Bagos1, on 07/07/2009, -5/+34Amen....and both sides of the house voted for the Patriot Act as well as the Iraqi war. We were not being represented then, and we are still not being represented noe. We are being managed and frighteningly, the current administration is better at it..
- tasine, on 07/07/2009, -3/+31Regardless how long it has been going on, it still is egregious and dereliction of duty. NO bill should be passed without every member has read it through and signed his name that he has read it.
Some of this trash that Congress passes as 'bills' is devastating to individuals or the nation and to pass them off willy-nilly is NOT what we pay them for. If time is short, and yet a bill MUST be voted on, then call all members in from their fun trips and from campaigning so they CAN read the bill and understand it. If they can't do that, they're worse than worthless - they are negligent and dangerous and we should not have to wait for an election to boot them out.
Most of our congress members should be carried out of office today in chains. My humble opinion of course. - Winston84, on 07/07/2009, -31/+58Where was The Washington neo-con Times outrage
when the so-called "Patriot Act" was passed without anyone reading it ? - LouisCipher777, on 07/07/2009, -6/+30team, you are a moron. first off he is doing a HORRIBLE job, second, he did in fact promise a "new era of transparency".
STFU and GTFO - PeppermintPig, on 07/07/2009, -2/+26Nobody complained??!
- LouisCipher777, on 07/07/2009, -7/+30the patriot act was as atrocious a piece of crap as anything Obama's congress has pushed through, but guess what, when the patriot act went through there were several media outlets calling them out on it instead of what you see right now, the occasional voice of reason in the cacophony of statist yelling "for your own good".
and h8f8kes is right whether you want to believe it or not, this school yard ***** "he started it" crap is just dividing us and obscuring the reality that our republic is being dismantled one piece at a time right in front of our eyes. it was happening for the last 8 years, but Obama has done more to move forward with it in 6 months than Bush did in 8 years.
I weep for the future. - LouisCipher777, on 07/07/2009, -3/+26it's a crime against the republic regardless of who is in office, and lets be honest, it didn't exactly start with the bush administration, but it was worse under bush and now the train is moving full speed ahead and coming up on a sharp curve.
- AWBoy666, on 07/07/2009, -9/+31None of Bush's bills passed $1T in cost in a single bill. The staggering size of these pieces of legislation require much closer attention considering they affect the long term viability of our way of life.
- Surfrock66, on 07/07/2009, -13/+35I'm digging an article I didn't read right now.
- kemp34, on 07/07/2009, -2/+23"Don't talk to fools, they scorn the wisdom of your words."
- TheInformer, on 07/07/2009, -2/+22But but but..... this is going to be (and I quote) "the most ethical Congress in history".
How ethical is it to tell your constituents one thing (transparency) and do something else?
Now you know what a Pelosi promise is good for. A Pelosi promise and $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks. - Korberos, on 07/07/2009, -3/+23Oh look, the bury button.
- axiomata, on 07/07/2009, -1/+21DownsizeDC has a 'Read the Bills Act' that you can tell your reps to support (just make sure they read the act before supporting)
http://www.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/27
It would require a signed affidavit saying you read the bill before voting. - govsucks, on 07/07/2009, -12/+31Any person that doesn't read something before they vote on it in no way represents me nor do they have the intelligence to represent me.
The whole problem is that this nation has become a democracy and we will never stop the government leeches from voting to take our income. If we can't stop them from taking our money with our votes because they mooch collectivists outnumber the freedom loving individuals and they won't follow the constitution what choice do we have but force?
We are at the point now that we can MAKE them leave us alone or we can continue to be used. - mrbroli, on 07/07/2009, -1/+20Agreed. Partisan bickering is what kind of put us in this mess in the first place. I didn't agree with the Patriot Act seven years ago, and I don't agree with unread and unwritten legislation being voted on now. I don't care if it's republicans or democrats doing it; it's just got to stop.
- cersad, on 07/07/2009, -9/+27The cost is completely irrelevant to the problem described herein. I'm sorry if I offended you by insulting your hero, George W. Bush, but the fact is that to have good-quality legislation, we need our congresspeople to fully understand the bills they vote on. It's not a partisan issue, as much as you want to make it one.
- Sherman901, on 07/07/2009, -3/+19Will you quit with this ridiculous argument of "They did it so we can too"? You can't justify it so stop trying to play the sides.
- lostarchitect, on 07/07/2009, -1/+17I did.
- geodebug, on 07/07/2009, -9/+23Washington Times is a tabloid. Notice the lack of any citing of specific examples or placing the practice in historical context of how congress works?
There is media for those who seek out knowledge and media for those who simply want to reassurance that others share their prejudices. Washington Times is the latter.
Funny thing is, you don't have to create fake outrages if you don't like Pelosi. There is plenty of 'real news' that makes her intolerable. - kemp34, on 07/07/2009, -3/+17You don't think Obama and Pelosi and the rest of the Democrat leadership consult on strategy?!
I think YOU are the dolt. - MiddleAmerica, on 07/07/2009, -8/+21This is crap, its a common problem & practice on both sides of the aisle that goes back for at least decades.
What reps do is they have people reading the bills for them & bringing details to their attention. - codemonkey85, on 07/07/2009, -2/+15DownsizeDC's "Read The Bills Act" is trying to fix this very (deplorable) problem.
http://www.downsizedc.org/page/read_the_laws - inactive, on 07/07/2009, -2/+15Then they will just say they read it, and when you ask them specifics they will say "I don't recall the entire bill" or some other spin.
We need to treat them like children. Give them random pop quizzes. If they fail the test, then no paycheck that month. Fail two tests, then toss their ass in jail for a year.
Every day they sit in office they should be afraid. - DaveF, on 07/07/2009, -0/+12Feingold and Ron Paul are two who come to mind.
- gn84, on 07/07/2009, -2/+14Without doing any research...
Patriot Act? - labantnet, on 07/07/2009, -0/+11I think the point is that legislation should be Extremely Specific. If it takes more than 5-10 pages then you're covering too much. Also, Bills should be for one issue or subject ONLY. No more of this stupid ***** where they make a bill covering free helmets for poor kids, then bury a provision allowing oil dumping on park land if it's less than 5 gallons at a time. I agree somewhat on removing 3. Maybe not a 5 page commentary. That's a 5 page report on 5 pages of Leg. Maybe a paragraph or so.
- SamSks, on 07/07/2009, -1/+12"I dont understand how it's not criminal."
My fellow Congressmen, here is a Law that will make us into criminals. Those is favor?
*sound of crickets*
Those against:
NAY! * 435 times.
The "NAYS" have it! - Sherman901, on 07/07/2009, -2/+13@daboz
Nice logic. Republicans are beyond reprehensible but what about Democrats? They are fine? Again, you are arguing like a 5 year old. - unclefire, on 07/07/2009, -0/+11A ***** ton of people complained.
- codemonkey85, on 07/07/2009, -1/+11DownsizeDC has been trying to make this happen for a very long time. Check it out...help them get some traction!
http://www.downsizedc.org/page/read_the_laws - kaelyiesta, on 07/07/2009, -1/+11Perhaps it was hard to tell, what with all the flag waving, but actually quite a few of us did object. Such people were called hippies and terrorists and haters of america and so on. There's plenty of evidence, just look on youtube for videos of neocon-supporting MSM talkingheads. You will find many videos of these media faces attacking those who 'complained'.
- LouisCipher777, on 07/07/2009, -3/+13I dont understand how it's not criminal.
- sproket, on 07/07/2009, -1/+11Is now? It's always been like that. The bills are too complex.
- seks03, on 07/08/2009, -1/+10looks like we are now back at "taxation without representation"... do these people truely represent us anymore?
- codemonkey85, on 07/07/2009, -0/+9If they don't have time to read the bills, then the bills are far too long. What is a representative supposed to do if not familiarize themselves with proposed legislation to an appropriate degree so they can actually REPRESENT the opinions of those who voted them into office?
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