So reports The Washington Examiner’s Susan Ferrechio in a story about a campaign to put the text of congressional bills online for at least 72 hours before any vote is taken. The Sunlight Foundation and two GOP House members are separately trying to get Congress to either make this commitment, or vote on it.
Not surprisingly, Democrats don’t like it — they prevented public review of cap-and-trade, the stimulus bill, and (with Bush administration assistance) TARP. The article does note, however, that Republicans balked at efforts to publicize the language of the original Patriot Act and the Medicare prescription drug benefit bill.
My free political advice of the day: Any federal lawmaker up for re-election in 2010 who can’t take this pledge better hope he/she is in a really safe district.
