Dear fellow Oregonian,
Whoever said, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” never went to Congress.|
Sometime this year, perhaps very soon, both chambers in Congress likely will be asked to vote on a monumental healthcare bill — monumental in its scope, its cost, and the number of pages that comprise the legislation.
And while many important questions about the final draft of the bill remain, here’s one that most Americans are shocked we even have to ask: “Will members of Congress be given enough time to read and understand the bill before casting a vote?”
The answer, based on prior behavior, is “probably not.”
Earlier this year, members, the public, and press were given 12 hours to review the 1,073-page long stimulus bill that cost future generations of Americans (since we’re borrowing everything at this point) $787 billion. Not a single member read it before the vote.
The cap and trade bill, which would cost $846 billion and weighs in at 1,428 pages, was available for 16.5 hours before the House vote.
(Incidentally, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this week that the cap-and-trade bill would lead to significant job losses.)
But this isn’t a partisan problem: under Republican rule in 2003, for example, the 852-page Medicare Part D bill was available for 29 hours before a vote was called on the $395 billion legislation.
It happens more often than anyone would like to admit. According to the Sunlight Foundation, this year alone transparency rules have been waived at least two dozen times to rush legislation to the floor.
So here’s that pesky question again: Will members of Congress — and the press and public, for that matter — be given enough time to read and understand the bill before voting on it?
To ensure that the answer to that question is, “Yes,” I have launched a discharge petition to bring a vote on H. Res. 554, which was authored by my partner in this fight, Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.). H. Res. 554 simply requires a waiting period of at least 72 hours before any legislation could be voted on in the House.
H. Res. 554 has been bottled up in committee for months and the majority has no plans to bring it to the floor for an up-or-down vote.
That means the only way we can force a vote on it and bring some transparency to the peoples’ house is through a discharge petition.
The effort has picked up a lot of attention. Click here or on the photo below to watch my interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren.
Here’s how it works: to force an up-or-down vote, we need 218 signatures from House members on the petition. As of this writing, we have 182 bipartisan signatures. That leaves us 36 signatures short of bringing real change to how the House conducts its business.
You can follow the progress here.
All we’re asking for is 72 hours to actually figure out what’s in these important bills before a vote. The waiting period isn’t solely an exercise for members of Congress. The public and press have a right to know what’s buried in these bills too. Under H. Res. 554, all bills would be required to be posted in a searchable format online.
After all, transparency is the antiseptic to a flawed legislative process. We’re not asking for much. Three days. That’s not asking too much, is it?
Here’s what others are saying about it:
John Fund with The Wall Street Journal – “Polls show overwhelming agreement outside the Beltway that it’s more important for Congress to get health-care reform done right than done quickly… It’s time for Congress to change its ways. Haste can make for more than waste and lead to populist outrage that often takes on a life of its own. That happened after this year’s stimulus bill included the infamous provision authorizing executives of bailed-out AIG to get retroactive bonuses.”
Hood River News – “Those who won’t challenge Democratic leadership on this issue should remember the mantra: Choose your battles. Walden deserves praise for championing an idea whose time has come: that our legislators, let alone the American public, be granted a full 72 hours to read and — perhaps! — understand important legislation where inevitably there is tax money involved, among other long-lasting impacts. Seventy-two hours: That’s the equivalent of a long weekend.”
The Bulletin – “Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, is trying to change the way the House works. He is working to get the House to put its bills online for 72 hours before voting on them. It would give members, the media and the public a chance to vet what’s being voted on. Similar measures have died in recent years. … It’s simple enough. Bills should be voted on their merits. And that can’t be done unless they can be read in advance.”
Klamath Falls Herald and News – “It’s such a simple concept, it’s a wonder that anyone would dare delay or vote against U.S. Rep. Greg Walden’s efforts to give members of Congress enough time to actually read the things they vote on.”
Baker City Herald – “It’s that rarest of things in the nation’s capital: A simple and effective solution to a serious problem. Equally unusual is the degree to which Americans, normally a rather bristly bunch, agree on the necessity of giving lawmakers, and the public, time to give bills at least a cursory read. A recent Zogby poll showed that 91 percent of those surveyed agree that non-emergency legislation should be posted on the Internet at least three days before it’s voted on.”
The Columbian – “And as for Democrats who don’t like Baird’s tactic, too bad. Show Americans, please, why and how a 72-hour review is bad. The only excuse we’ve heard is that the need to pass key legislation such as health care reform is too crucial to be slowed down. What? Slowed down?! You gotta be kidding! We’re talking three days!”
ON THE ROAD
Despite the busy schedule in the nation’s capital, I was able to spend time in both southern and central Oregon over the last two weekends.
In Medford, I visited with the students from St. Mary’s School who were quarantined twice during a summer visit to China. Thankfully, working with the U.S. Embassy and the Chinese government, we were able to make sure the students were safe and found their way home.
One aspect of the program I’ve been impressed with is the school’s emphasis on foreign language, specifically its Mandarin program. That kind of education will only help the next generation compete in the global economy. You can read more about my visit here.
I was also in Bend this past Monday before starting my 381st round trip between Oregon and Washington, D.C. The Juniper Ridge piping project got off with a bang — literally — in the morning. (see the news report here) The groundbreaking marks the start of a project that will eventually return 3,916 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water to the Deschutes River each year.
This is one of those projects that’s good for farmers, good for the community, and good for threatened fish species. The local cooperation on display in this project is vital to serving diverse interests at the same time, and it’s one that’s worked before in the Second District. Last May, President Bush signed into law my Oregon Water Resources Act that included support for the Deschutes River Conservancy and North Unit Irrigation District. And President Obama signed into law a bill on March 30 that authorized piping of conserved water back into the Deschutes River.
HOUSE PAGE PROGRAM IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
My office is now accepting applications for the House Page Program’s Spring 2010 semester, which will last from Jan. 24-June 4.
Serving as a congressional page is a tremendous opportunity for young people. The program allows energetic young adults interested in the inner workings of federal government to gain firsthand experience in the Congress. It is a wonderful accomplishment for which the page, as well as their family, teachers and friends, can be very proud.
House pages are directly involved in various duties as assigned by the Clerk of the House, including assisting members, helping with House Floor operations and ensuring that the overall processes in the House of Representatives are conducted.
Interested applicants can click here for an application, or request one by emailing Erica.chalkley@mail.house.gov . Or you can always call my Medford district office at (800) 533-3303 or my Washington, D.C. office for more information.
Applications must be returned by November 10, 2009.
Return applications by email to Erica.chalkley@mail.house.gov or by mail to the following address:
House Page Program Applications
Office of Congressman Greg Walden
843 E. Main St, Suite 400
Medford, OR 97504
To qualify for service as a congressional page, applicants must be at least 16 years of age and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in the five major subjects. Candidates for the page program are recommended by Congressman Walden based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement and character. House majority and minority leadership make the final selections.
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That’s all for now. Remember to join me on YouTube, friend me on Facebook, or track me on Twitter if you have not already done so.
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Best regards,
Greg Walden
