US House passes "Stimulus" without reading it.

[CowboyCO]

So, the House passed the $789 Billion dollar "Stimulus Bill" today.

Nobody, other than the house leadership, has any idea what's in it. 1,076 pages.

Even senator Frank Lautenberg (D) from NJ said that none of his colleagues in the House will get to read it before being rushed to vote on it.

If it's that important, shouldn't Pelosi have allowed a few days for the Congress to actually read it before voting? Didn't Pelosi promise that the bill would be posted on-line for all Americans to see for 48 hours before they vote on it?

This is not transparent government. This is iron fist, slam "social change in the name of emergency stimulus" right down the throat of the country without even your elected officials being allowed to vote on it.

Change? You better believe it. In the words of Robbie Benson, "All the way up with a red hot poker!"

 

[AndyLL]

So, the House passed the $789 Billion dollar "Stimulus Bill" today.

Nobody, other than the house leadership, has any idea what's in it. 1,076 pages.

Since they already passed the bill last week I hope they have an idea what's in it.

 

[CowboyCO]

Since they already passed the bill last week I hope they have an idea what's in it.

No, they passed the house version of the Bill last week. This is a new, revised bill. Since no one has read it (1,076 pages), they handed over their elected responsibility to the house and senate leadership and the lobbyists.

Many congressional staffers were dismayed that they were being asked specific questions about things in the bill and they had not even seen it. Only the leadership and the lobbyists had copies.

 

[olena]

It's like those people who sign loans without reading them. Later on, they cry foul if what they were told doesn't jive with the contract.

 

[disney1990]

It's like those people who sign loans without reading them. Later on, they cry foul if what they were told doesn't jive with the contract.

I agree with this. You wouldn't believe how many people I have read about or seen on television that say, I didn't know I had an adjustable mortgage. I didn't know my interest rate could go that high. DUH!

 

[AndyLL]

No, they passed the house version of the Bill last week. This is a new, revised bill. Since no one has read it (1,076 pages), they handed over their elected responsibility to the house and senate leadership and the lobbyists..

It is not a new bill. It is a reconciled bill between the house and senate versions.

As expected only cuts and not additions were made to the original bill.

Many congressional staffers were dismayed that they were being asked specific questions about things in the bill and they had not even seen it. Only the leadership and the lobbyists had copies.

I guess then even the staffers have not read the original bills.

What happended last week was more of a procedual task then crafting a bill. This happens with almost every bill.

It's really a shame much of the education dollars were cut from the bill. It sounds like it could've been used.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Andy, You sound as if it is ok with you and even expected that they have not read it.

I do not agree. I expect them to not only read what they are signing into law but to make sure they understand every sentence written there. "It is only a revision of what was there before" Is absolutely not an acceptable attitude IMO for any legislation that we and our children are bound to live by. And that is especially so for something we are now all in debt to pay for the next who knows how many years!

 

[Muushka]

So, the House passed the $789 Billion dollar "Stimulus Bill" today.

Nobody, other than the house leadership, has any idea what's in it. 1,076 pages.

Even senator Frank Lautenberg (D) from NJ said that none of his colleagues in the House will get to read it before being rushed to vote on it.

If it's that important, shouldn't Pelosi have allowed a few days for the Congress to actually read it before voting? Didn't Pelosi promise that the bill would be posted on-line for all Americans to see for 48 hours before they vote on it?

This is not transparent government. This is iron fist, slam "social change in the name of emergency stimulus" right down the throat of the country without even your elected officials being allowed to vote on it.

Change? You better believe it. In the words of Robbie Benson, "All the way up with a red hot poker!"

Henry Steele 'One on One'! One of my all time favorite movies! OK, enough of that levity....

Look. Nancy Pelosi, my all time favorite Democrat had a flight to Rome to catch. That was way more important than people understanding what they were signing.

I understand that the 1000+ page bill also had handwritten notes in the columns of it. We are off to a wonderful start. I feel very safe with this administration.

 

[MissMet]

yeah, the best is now they are saying that 75% of it won't be spent until 2011...they really needed to hurry up & make that decision because 2011 is just around the corner.

Oh, wait it's 2009!

They probably forgot to read the calendars too.

Oh, the joys of being a young american...I get to watch our country implode due to our illiterate government.

 

[AndyLL]

Andy, You sound as if it is ok with you and even expected that they have not read it.

I expect them to know what was in the original bills. (which they've had plenty of time to study)

I excpect them to know what changes were made in the reconciled bill. Those changes should be minor.

You have 3 choices with the reconciled bill:

1) Remove any item that was not in both bills.
2) Add any item to both bills that were in 1 or not the other.
3) Do #2 on some items but adjust the scope of the item.

This happens on almost every bill and on normal bills the vote is automatic.

New items should not be added to the reconciliation bill.

If the original bills were rushed through with little debate then I'd be in agreement.

This talk about the reconciliation bill is much ado about nothing and pure politics.

The 2 bills turned out to be simular and most the changes were to reduce the total to please the 3 republicans.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

But if they had not read it how would they know that nothing was put in that should not be there? That the rules were followed. There would have to be some level of trust.

I guess I am not trusting enough. I would want to know for myself that everything was written as it should have been done and nothing was added or deleted that the people who wrote it didn't want me to know about. Just the fact that they didn't want to give me ( or in this case the other senators) the time to study it makes me less trusting that there is something there that should not be.