Read the Bill Act - your thoughts?

Discussion
1

I’m polling people to find out how they would feel about something called the Read the Bills Act (RTBA). This bill has been introduced in the Senate, and has a history of being introduced in the House, with multiple sponsors.I’m now working with others to get this bill passed. Please write back and let me know what you think. Do you like this idea, or oppose it? Either way, support or oppose, I’d like to hear what you think.RTBA would require that...Any member of Congress who wants to vote YES on a bill must sign an affidavit swearing that he or she has...
   - Read the entire bill, or
   - Heard the entire bill read.
It will always be easy for every member of Congress to hear a bill read because RTBA requires a full reading before a quorum of each chamber of Congress. This one simple requirement will change how Congress operates. As it stands now, too many bills . . .
   - Are passed too quickly with too little understanding, debate, and deliberation
   - Are too long, too dense, and contain too many subjects
The quorum reading requirement will create a huge incentive to make bills shorter, clearer, and more focused, so that Congress can better endure the fatigue of hearing them read! It will make Congress . . .
   - Slow down
   - Debate
   - Deliberate
   - And better understand the burdens they seek to impose on the American people
RTBA also requires that every amendment to present law must quote the existing law to be amended, and the new section as amended. It will no longer suffice to have something like the following . . ."Section 415 (21 U.S.C. 350d) is amended in subsection (a)(2), by inserting after the first sentence the following: . . ."This is yet another feature of RTBA that will make things easier for both Congress and the public.RTBA also imposes waiting periods . . .
   - After the quorum reading Congress must wait seven (7) days before the final vote.
   - The bill must be posted online during that period so that YOU, the press, the rest of the public, and watchdog groups can read the legislation too.
   - The vote must be publicly scheduled on the Internet for a date certain, seven (7) days in advance.
These provisions will end the practice of legislating by surprise, and give citizens the same time for reading and deliberating that Congress should invest.Finally, RTBA has mechanisms to compel compliance. We'll note two here . . .First, RTBA is a law, NOT a mere rule. The evidence is overwhelming that Congress doesn’t obey its own rules. Enforceable laws are needed instead. This problem of enforcement is also why RTBA permits no exceptions for "emergencies." "Emergency" has become an accounting term on Capitol Hill — a way to work outside the constraints of current budget law.Second, Congressional rules can't be enforced by the courts. But properly written laws can be. That's why RTBA contains the following enforcement mechanism . . .Any citizen, charged with a crime, can successfully defend him or herself, if they can present evidence demonstrating that the law they are accused of violating was passed in violation of RTBA. The judge can then dismiss the case, or the jury can render a verdict of innocence. No mere rule can be enforced in this way. Only a law can give citizens this kind of protection.In conclusion . . .If you must be responsible for obeying and funding every word of every law Congress enacts, then every member of Congress must be responsible for reading every word of every bill before they vote to enact it.Do you support this law, or oppose it? Please write back and let me know. Nina

2

I suppport

Michael Denny
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
www.LPSF.org<http://www.lpsf.org/>

3

For those who support the RTBA, here is a place to send a message of support to your Congresscritter:
https://downsizedc.org/etp/rtba/
Nina

4

Thanks, Nina. Downsize DC is indeed a good place to support some very good proposals. Another proposal Downsize has been talking about is One Subject at the Time bill. The ability of lawmakers to attach all kinds of pork and egregious legislation to bills needs to be opposed. Here is the link (not to imply any support of Rand Paul on my part). https://downsizedc.org/etp/one-subject/ Marcy To: lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.comFrom: lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.comDate: Thu, 7 Jan 2016 18:30:40 +0000Subject: Re: [lpsf-discuss] Read the Bill Act - your thoughts?

      For those who support the RTBA, here is a place to send a message of support to your Congresscritter:https://downsizedc.org/etp/rtba/ Nina From: "'mike@...' mike@... [lpsf-discuss]" <lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com> To: "lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com" <lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com>; yahoogroups <bayareapatriots2@yahoogroups.com>; yahoogroups <freed-m@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2016 10:02 AM Subject: RE: [lpsf-discuss] Read the Bill Act - your thoughts?

I suppport
   
Michael Denny
Libertarian Party of San Francisco
http://www.lpsf.org/

5

Ooh! That is a good one, too! Thank you, Marcy!
Nina Don’t threaten or initiate force, or ask politicians to do it for you.