Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has posted a wonderful quote today by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Representative Hoyer stated that the healthcare reform bill now before Congress would get very few votes if lawmakers had to read it before they voted on it. This answer was given in response to a question by a CNN reporter. There is currently a petition being circulated requiring members of Congress to read any bill before voting on it. This petition was posted at Right Wing Granny on June 29. It is a simple petition, requiring only that members of Congress read the healthcare bill before voting on it.
Ed Morrissey points out:
"This goes beyond the inanity of Hoyer in this particular application. We elect Representatives from each district and Senators from each state to make the laws which govern us. We didn't elect their staffs to do that work for the empty suits who go to Washington. The culture in the Beltway has evolved to the point where our elected officials have more or less become accessories to the permanent aide class within DC."
Isn't reading legislation before voting on it part of the job of Congressmen? What are these people doing during the time they are expected to be working? Isn't it time we elected people who will read bills before they vote on them?
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