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Transparency Travesty in the House of Representatives
Friday, June 26, 2009 4:39 PM
This would be funny if it wasn't so sad:
Congressional leaders are hell-bent to pass the cap-and-trade bill today - regardless of whether members had an opportunity to read the final. Reps. Barton and Gohmert are taking on the Acting Speaker with parliamentary inquiries on whether there actually is a complete copy of the FINAL bill in the House of Representatives.
Transcribing parts of the debate (we'll post the transcript later):
Rep. Louis Gohmert on extra 300 pgs: "Where is a physical copy I can get, read, and look at?"
Acting speaker: "The Chair's not responsible for disseminating those copies...The gentleman has not made a parl. inquiry I can answer."
Barton: "I have another inquiry...is there a rule that requires a copy of the legislation be present in the body?" Chair: "I am not aware of such a rule."
A few minutes later the Acting Speaker claimed the final copy was:
"at the desk, where it's supposed to be."
It is still, however, as the Acting Speaker admits, missing the additional 300 pages that were just added. That is, the clerk is inserting the pages right now.
So really, there is NO final bill.
What a travesty! Welcome to Speaker Pelosi's new era of honest, open, and transparent government.
Reader Comments:
This is not the American I grew up in; it is not a representative system any longer. Sad to say. Follow the money on this: Pelosi, Waxman, GE, Gore, who gets rich when this is past?
Karen W. / Ohio
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