Voting on bills… large or small, seemingly critical or not, is a HORRIFIC situation in a democracy. It borders on treason in its shell recklessness and dereliction of duty.

I am certain that for anyone that votes for the bill without having read and comprehended it has literally violated their oath of elected office, the priviledge the people have given to them.

That the people would allow this with nary a comment (yours is the refreshing exception!) is reason for dire concern… a people that would not watch carefully over the laws that directly govern them are a people deserving of a life of slavery to a master.

We may yet get what we deserve.

I like H. Res. 554.

Here’s a proposed amendment.

Amend each instance, by inserting the following, after “shall be posted continuously by means of the Internet in such a manner that they are conveniently accessible using existing technology, anonymously and at no cost, in a format that is searchable by text”:

“and available in two copies: one regular copy, and one in which all changes from the superseded version, where applicable (for instance a discussion draft is superseded by the bill as introduced; the bill as introduced is superseded by an ANS, etc.), are clearly marked — highlighted with sunny, shiny, bright highlights.”

A second amendment would insert the following, after “highlighted with sunny, shiny, bright highlights”:

“–clickable highlights that link to the rationales for the text change, for each text change.”

(The rationales for both of these amendments are to enhance the four-fold purpose of H.Res.554, and it should be pretty uncontroversial that the amendments would serve that purpose.)

Do you think we can get something like this/these in the Senate, too, ASAP, in order that we may strengthen democracy in time to strengthen climate/energy policy in the Senate before Copenhagen?