Should congress allow bills to be posted online at least 72 hours before voting on them?

Question

"The American people are now suspicious of not only the lawmakers, but the process they hide behind to do their work," said Michael Franc, president of government relations for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

At town hall meetings across the country this past summer, the main topic was health care, but there was a strong undercurrent of anger over the way Congress rushed through passage of the stimulus, global warming and bank bailout bills without seeming to understand the consequences. The stimulus bill, for example, was 1,100 pages long and made available to Congress and the public just 13 hours before lawmakers voted on it. The bill has failed to provide the promised help to the job market, and there was outrage when it was discovered that the legislation included an amendment allowing American International Group, a bailout recipient, to give out millions in employee bonuses.

"If someone had a chance to look at the bill, they would have found that out," said Lisa Rosenberg, who lobbies Congress on behalf of the Sunlight Foundation to bring more transparency to government.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Congressional-leaders-fight-against-posting-bills-online-8340658-63557217.html

Answer 1

It was promised to us during the campaign, so yes.

Answer 2

If you actually think that we're going to be able to have a voice about this until AFTER the fact, you're mistaken. We're going to have pork shoved down our throat, once again. And we're going to be told to like it. The only remedy will be voting in 2010 and shaking up Congress.

Answer 3

Yes and it should be made a law that it is posted online for 72 hours with all amendments in place before a final vote. I don't care if it slows congress or makes their lives difficult.

Answer 4

I think Congress should allow our votes too.



We should be able to vote on everything they are attempting to pass bills on.

Answer 5

Who care? People have no power over individual bills once they are elected, wait until election day.