During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.So I guess that the excuse is that, since they can't read it or understand it, it's fine just to let the House leaders (who probably haven't read the whole thing either) reassure you that the whole thing is just fine. At least some representative's aides somewhere have read some part of the bill so that should be enough, right? Who says that when you're rejiggering over one-sixth of the US economy and incurring massive future debt that you need to know what it is you're voting on.
“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers.
“What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”
Byron York reports that the Republicans have been diligently reading what's in the bill so that they can argue against it. They hope that they will be able to take advantage of a teachable moment. The public is engaged and interested in the bill. They want to know what is in it and how it will affect them. I was at a teacher workshop this past weekend and judging by the conversations I heard there, teachers from across the country - not a generally conservative group - are worried and leaning against the proposed bills. That sort of anecdotal evidence represents the opinions of the great majority of American people who are satisfied with their health care. Those are the people whose worries the Democrats need to allay. And defending a bill they haven't read is going to make their job tougher. That explains why the response was "overwhelming" for a five-hour seminar yesterday among Democrats for them to learn what is in the bill. I hope they are taking good notes.
If Conyers wants to help sell the thing, he better start looking through those more than a thousand pages. Of course, he might be busy answering ethics charges about how he happened to write a letter to the EPA in support of the same sludge company from which his wife just plead guilty to accepting a bribe.
6 comments:
Since memnbers of Congress will continue to have their own exclusive health care plan(payed for by the taxpayers) Conyers really is not interested in what is in this rationing plan the Democrats are shoving on everyday American citizens.
He will just vote for it and the people he represents will re-elect him. The fact that he and his wife have a little corruption problem will probably not bother his voters either.
Non of the Democrats who are voting for Obamacare--in fact--will sign Congressman Fleming's letter stating that if they vote for it--they will drop their special plan and join the government plan they are voting for.
If it is so great--why not?
Thanks for great post, Betsy. I feel your frustration, right through the computer screen!
Perhaps "climate czarina" Carol Browner, who ordered her staff never to put anything into writing, should be put in charge of congressional mouths, too, so she can order Conyers to zip his lip.
Come to think of it, hearing nothing and receiving no mailings from Congress would be a welcome respite for most of us.
If it's too long to read, it's too long to pass.
There's a simple rule they could follow: If you don't understand it, don't vote for it. If you don't know what's in it, don't vote for it.
He thought he was writing a letter of commendation for Sister Sledge not sludge. But the rumor is that he couldn't quite figure out why nobody sang and the theater smelled bad when he went to the concert. Not to mention the state of his shoes.
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