Reading the bills

[sratiug]

On a video of Rand I heard him say he would introduce legislation to require members to read the bills before they vote on them. But there would be no way to know if they actually read them. Wouldn't it be better to introduce legislation that requires the bill be read in front of all of them in it's entirety before each vote? And couldn't this get massive support nationwide right now if introduced by Ron Paul?

[mport1]

Downsize DC has already created a bill like that - http://www.downsizedc.org/page/read_the_laws

The bill requires that:

Each bill, and every amendment, must be read in its entirety before a quorum in both the House and Senate.

Every member of the House and Senate must sign a sworn affidavit, under penalty of perjury, that he or she has attentively either personally read, or heard read, the complete bill to be voted on.

Every old law coming up for renewal under the sunset provisions must also be read according to the same rules that apply to new bills.

Every bill to be voted on must be published on the Internet at least 7 days before a vote, and Congress must give public notice of the date when a vote will be held on that bill.

Passage of a bill that does not abide by these provisions will render the measure null and void, and establish grounds for the law to be challenged in court.

Congress cannot waive these requirements.

It is their major item and they have been promoting it for quite awhile.

[Bucjason]

Well there's no way to prove if someone read the bill...

How about we just put a limit on how large any bill can be ?? Anything that is 1,000 pages long is sure to be doing more than is enumerated in the constitution...

[Bucjason]

Downsize DC has already created a bill like that - http://www.downsizedc.org/page/read_the_laws

The bill requires that:


It is their major item and they have been promoting it for quite awhile.


I think congressman would just lie and say they read it. They don't care about lying under oath ( ask Bill Clinton) and there would be no way to prove that they perjured if they did.

I like the part that says every bill must be published on the internet 7 days before a vote , however.

[Icymudpuppy]

I think that reading a bill in front of a quorum is a good plan. There should have to be a role call to make sure that a quorum is present throughout. Distractions should be banned during the reading of the bill such as cell phones, paige interruptions, individual bathroom breaks, etc. 30 minute Group breaks for bathroom usage or lunch, or to come back the next day are limited to 4 breaks each day. midmorning, noon, midafternoon, evening recess. 2 additional 5 minute group restroom breaks may be taken each day if any member shows physical distress related to indigestion. If the member fails to return within 5 minutes, his attendence will not be counted for the full reading. If that lowers the total to below quorum, the bill must be started over again when a full quorum is present.

Those requirements will definitely limit the size of bills. Who wants to bored to death for 36 hours while a 1000 page bill is read?

[sratiug]

No, it should say you cannot vote unless you are there all the way through the entire reading of the bill without speaking or reading or writing or playing video games, texting, phoning, having gay sex or doing anything else at all. There is no reason any bill should be so long you can't sit through its reading.

[Krugerrand]

how about a requirement that so may days be allocated per so many characters for congress to consider the legislation. That would at least ensure people have time to give feedback. If a last minute amendment is added, again based on how many characters is how many days it should be allotted for consideration.

[tangent4ronpaul]

how about a requirement that so may days be allocated per so many characters for congress to consider the legislation. That would at least ensure people have time to give feedback. If a last minute amendment is added, again based on how many characters is how many days it should be allotted for consideration.

"in article 3, section 2, insert after "shall" the word "not""

and you just changed the effect of the bill around 180 degrees.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

Downsize DC has a "Write the bills act" too!

-t