Groups Push For 72-Hour Rule Hearing
More than 20 open government and high-tech watchdogs on Tuesday wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader John Boehner, House Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter and Rules ranking member David Dreier calling for a Rules Committee hearing to explore the benefits of requiring that legislation be posted online for 72 hours prior to consideration. Along with the letter, the groups delivered a petition with 21,000 signatures of individuals who joined the Sunlight Foundation's Read the Bill campaign. They, too, want Congress post legislation and conference reports on the Web for 72 hours before debate begins.
"House and Senate leaders understand the importance of providing online access to legislation and have indicated some willingness to make health care legislation available prior to a vote. Those promises are appreciated, but an ad hoc approach to allowing the public to read the bill is not sufficient," Sunlight's Lisa Rosenberg wrote in a Wednesday blog post. "Members of Congress should be governed by a rule that ensures that all legislation is available to the public at specific online locations for a minimum number of hours." Reps. Brian Baird, D-Wash., and John Culberson, R-Texas, have introduced a 72-hour rule resolution.
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