House leadership may be attempting to undermine an effort to require that you get to read all legislation and conference reports online for three days before they can be voted on.

House Resolution 554, sponsored by Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) would require a change of the House Rules to this effect – but the bill has not moved for weeks. A discharge petition is being circulated to bring the bill to the floor. If 218 House Members sign the discharge petition for House Resolution 554, the Resolution will be brought to the House floor for consideration.  As of today, October 1, 181 members had signed the petition.

In what appears to be an effort to co-opt this petition drive, Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter that calls on Leadership to merely “strive to meet” a standard already in the House rules which technically would provide for a review period.

However, the big problem with that is that the rules that are in place obviously are not working, as we have seen with the way the “stimulus” and the “cap-and-trade” bills were rushed through Congress with little debate.  The letter also provides for a loophole big enough to drive a truck through by stating:    

    We ask that the Leadership of the House strive to meet this established standard
    with all major legislation, with only the rarest and most necessary of exceptions.

In other words, we’re all for transparency, except when we aren’t!?

Only binding legislation will force lawmakers to take time for debate and allow the American people to see bills and voice their opinions on them before they are voted into law.

Click Read More to tell your member of Congress to sign the Discharge Petition for H.Res. 554 today!

Posted by Mattie Duppler on Thursday, October 1, 2009 5:02 PM EDT

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