By Congressman John Culberson
Record high spending bills are passing the House without a chance for Members of Congress and the American public to read the legislation. It is time to stop voting blind. Yesterday Rep.
Brian Baird (D-WA) and I introduced H.Res. 554 a resolution requiring the House of Representatives to make bills and conference repor
ts available online for 72 hours before they are considered by the House. This resolution will enhance public participation in our democracy and help restore the public trust in government by raising the level of openness order and discourse.
Today the nonpartisan nonprofit
Sunlight Foundation praised this resolution. Ellen Miller executive director and co-founder of the Sunlight Foundation said We commend Reps. Baird and Culberson for demonstrating such strong support for increasing legislative transparency in the House. By making the core activity of the Housethe consideration of legislationmore transparent this rules change would strengthen the publics trust in the institution improve legislation and trim wasteful spending. When legislation is not available for lawmaker or public review we end up with special amendments like the Stimulus Bills last-minute loophole that allowed AIG executives to receive retroactive bonuses at the American taxpayers expense. If Congress and citizens alike had 72 hours to read the Stimulus Bill online someone would have noticed the AIG provision and fixed it before it became law."
To learn more about H.Res. 554 please click here.
ts available online for 72 hours before they are considered by the House. This resolution will enhance public participation in our democracy and help restore the public trust in government by raising the level of openness order and discourse.
Today the nonpartisan nonprofit Sunlight Foundation praised this resolution. Ellen Miller executive director and co-founder of the Sunlight Foundation said We commend Reps. Baird and Culberson for demonstrating such strong support for increasing legislative transparency in the House. By making the core activity of the Housethe consideration of legislationmore transparent this rules change would strengthen the publics trust in the institution improve legislation and trim wasteful spending. When legislation is not available for lawmaker or public review we end up with special amendments like the Stimulus Bills last-minute loophole that allowed AIG executives to receive retroactive bonuses at the American taxpayers expense. If Congress and citizens alike had 72 hours to read the Stimulus Bill online someone would have noticed the AIG provision and fixed it before it became law."
To learn more about H.Res. 554 please click here.
