Read the bill, Congress -- is that too much to ask?
Published by Massie Ritsch on February 27, 2009 4:29 PM
Let's say you're considering an expensive decision. Maybe you're thinking of buying a house or a car. Maybe you're choosing a college or thinking of changing jobs. How long would you ponder?
Overnight?
A couple days?
Maybe a whole week?
Now let's say you were considering a really expensive decision -- a multi-billion-dollar decision, like your elected representatives in Congress routinely do. Wouldn't you want a little time to consider the facts and make up your mind?
Like, 72 hours -- just three days.
Is that too much to ask?
Overnight?
A couple days?
Maybe a whole week?
Now let's say you were considering a really expensive decision -- a multi-billion-dollar decision, like your elected representatives in Congress routinely do. Wouldn't you want a little time to consider the facts and make up your mind?
Like, 72 hours -- just three days.
Is that too much to ask?
Read The Bill from Sunlight Foundation on Vimeo.
No, it's not. And that's why the Center for Responsive Politics and a coalition of organizations of all stripes and missions are petitioning Congress to enforce the 72 Hour Rule -- don't vote on any non-emergency legislation that hasn't been publicly available on the Internet, in its complete form, for at least three days. Routinely Congress gives itself mere hours to consider hundreds of pages -- the recent stimulus bill was 1,100 pages long and got passed in 13 hours. Unless we start electing speed-readers, the result of this haste will continue to be wasteful spending, unintended consequences and hidden provisions becoming law.
.. ..
Here's what we're asking of you: Sign the online petition supporting the 72 Hour Rule. You'll find it at ReadtheBill.org, a project of our friends at the Sunlight Foundation. Once you've signed, send the petition along to folks you know.
..
Is that too much to ask?
No, it's not. And that's why the Center for Responsive Politics and a coalition of organizations of all stripes and missions are petitioning Congress to enforce the 72 Hour Rule -- don't vote on any non-emergency legislation that hasn't been publicly available on the Internet, in its complete form, for at least three days. Routinely Congress gives itself mere hours to consider hundreds of pages -- the recent stimulus bill was 1,100 pages long and got passed in 13 hours. Unless we start electing speed-readers, the result of this haste will continue to be wasteful spending, unintended consequences and hidden provisions becoming law.
.. ..
Here's what we're asking of you: Sign the online petition supporting the 72 Hour Rule. You'll find it at ReadtheBill.org, a project of our friends at the Sunlight Foundation. Once you've signed, send the petition along to folks you know.
..
Is that too much to ask?
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