D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h

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The healthcare bill and the cap and trade bill both threaten to
completely remake two of the largest sectors of our economy. The
President and Congressional leaders tell us these massive makeovers
are so urgent that these bills must be passed soon -- so soon that
they can't allow time to read them, even for 72 hours. But notice . .
. 

 They're taking months to work out the gruesome details 
 Most health care reforms won't begin until 2013 
 The effects of the cap&trade bill won't be seen for decades 
 After spending months on both of these bills, secret provisions will
still be added at the last minute 

In short, Congress is taking a long time to reach the point where
they'll rush these bills to a final vote, but then it will take years
or decades for these bills to really take effect. 

This is a contradiction. DownsizeDC.org's Read the Bills Act would
resolve the contradiction by compelling Congress to be deliberate. 

Please send Congress a letter telling them they need to pass
DownsizeDC.org's Read the Bills Act.
<https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/27>

You can use my letter as a model for your own, or simply past it into
your personal comments . . . 

Congress is taking months to craft legislation on health care and cap
and trade. These bills will then have delayed implementations, or
delayed effects. But despite these facts I know that you'll rush them
to a vote at the last minute, without taking the time to read them,
understand them, or debate them. This is a contradiction. 

I also know that many secret and probably unrelated provisions will
be added to them at the last minute. This has happened so often in the
past that I know you'll do it again with the health care and cap &
trade bills. This is irresponsible.

Neither I nor you will really know what you've passed for days or
weeks after the final vote. This is intolerable. 

It's obvious to me that Congress cannot be trusted to behave
responsibly, or even to follow it's own rules. That's why we need a
law to make you behave. Please introduce and pass DownsizeDC.org's
"Read the Bills Act."

END LETTER TO CONGRESS

You can send your letter to Congress here.
<https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/27>

Please also add your website or blog to the Read the Bills Act
Coalition. It's quick and easy, and will build public awareness about
the Read the Bills Act. In return, your site will be listed on our
blog and be listed in a Downsizer-Dispatch. You can join at the
DownsizeDC.org website.

Today we welcome 3 new members to the Coalition:

 Bushel Bob <http://www.bushelbob.com/>
 
 The Liberty Blog <http://www.thelibertyblog.com/>
 
 Free Patriot Press <http://www.freepatriot-press.com/>

Finally, over the past three weeks the House passed 33 bills totaling
1,779 pages, and the Senate passed 18 bills totaling 1,728 pages. You
can see the list of bills in the blog version of this Dispatch:

http://www.downsizedc.org/blog/health-care-and-cap-amp-trade-both-require-the-read-the-bills-act

James Wilson

Assistant Communications Director

DownsizeDC.org