Thursday, March 18, 2010

Democrats Won't Give People 72 Hours to Read the Bill

Another promise broken. I think if they pass this thing we should all march on Washington and not leave until they rescind it:

The Rules Committee will meet on Saturday to set the rules for debate. Following the letter of the 72-hour rule would mean no vote before late Sunday, but Democrats have allowed themselves an out. "The Democratic leadership has declared 'martial law,'" Poltico.com reports, "allowing leaders to bring legislation straight to the floor on the same legislative day." That could mean a vote as early as Saturday, with a floor debate of just four hours. The public and members of Congress would have only 48 hours or even less to examine the bill.

Democrats are in a rush for two reasons. One, the longer they wait, the iffier their chances of assembling a majority of 216 House members. Two, they're also in a hurry because the Senate needs a minimum of a week of floor debate to pass the expected reconciliation bill full of legislative "fixes." With Congress set to begin its two-week Easter recess on March 26, Democratic leaders don't want members leaving town before the issue is settled, fearing a pummeling by angry constituents back home that will weaken their resolve.

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