Tell a Friend About this Campaign!  

We support DownsizeDC.org in working to pass the "Read the Bills Act."  This legislation requires that:

• Each bill, and every amendment, must be read in its entirety before a quorum in both the House and Senate.
• Every member of the House and Senate must sign a sworn affidavit, under penalty of perjury, that he or she has attentively either personally read, or heard read, the complete bill to be voted on.
• Every old law coming up for renewal under the sunset provisions must also be read according to the same rules that apply to new bills.
• Every bill to be voted on must be published on the Internet at least 7 days before a vote, and Congress must give public notice of the date when a vote will be held on that bill.
• Passage of a bill that does not abide by these provisions will render the measure null and void, and establish grounds for the law to be challenged in court.
• Congress cannot waive these requirements.

The result?  Congress and government will slow down, there will be no more secret bills like the Patriot Act, and no pork or riders attached to "must pass" legislation.  The government will have to work in a straightforward, rather than a backroom dealing, manner.

The Petition

Below is the text of the letter we will send on your behalf:

Congress needs to start reading the laws it passes. Please introduce DownsizeDC.org's "Read the Bills Act." I know you have the power to introduce this legislation on your own, without waiting for anyone else. I urge you to do so. This is a much-needed, common sense reform. I can see no justification for not introducing it. I'm telling my friends about it, and I look forward to hearing that you've introduced it. You can find the text of the legislation here:       http://www.downsizedc.org/rtba_legislation.shtml       [Your personal comments here]