[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 7 (Friday, January 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E88]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     INTRODUCING THE SUNLIGHT RULE

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                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 12, 2007

  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis 
famously said, ``Sunlight is the best disinfectant.'' In order to shine 
sunlight on the practices of the House of Representatives, and thus 
restore public trust and integrity to this institution, I am 
introducing the sunlight rule, which amends House rules to ensure that 
members have adequate time to study a bill before being asked to vote 
on it. One of the chief causes of increasing public cynicism regarding 
Congress is the way major pieces of legislation are brought to the 
floor without members having an opportunity to read the bills. For 
example, concerns have been raised that in the opening days of the 
110th Congress, legislation dealing with important topics such as 
national security are being brought to the floor before members have 
had an opportunity to adequately study the legislation.
  In past Congresses, it was all-too-common to see large Appropriations 
bills rushed to the floor of the House in late-night sessions at the 
end of the year. For example, the House voted on the Fiscal Year 2006 
Defense Appropriations Conference Report at approximately 4 a.m.--just 
four hours after the report was filed. Yet, the report contained 
language dealing with avian flu, including controversial language 
regarding immunity liability for vaccine manufacturers, that was added 
in the House-Senate conference on the bill. Considering legislation on 
important issues in this manner is a dereliction of our duty as the 
people's elected representatives.
  My proposed rule requires that no piece of legislation, including 
conference reports, can be brought before the House of Representatives 
unless it has been available to members and staff in both print and 
electronic version for at least ten days. My bill also requires that a 
manager's amendment that makes substantive changes to a bill be 
available in both printed and electronic forms at least 72 hours before 
voted on. While manager's amendments are usually reserved for technical 
changes, oftentimes manager's amendments contain substantive additions 
to, or subtractions from, bills. Members should be made aware of such 
changes before being asked to vote on a bill.
  The sunlight rule provides the people the opportunity to be involved 
in enforcing the rule by allowing a citizen to move for censure of any 
House Member who votes for a bill brought to the floor in violation of 
this act. The sunlight rule can never be waived by the Committee on 
Rules or House leadership. If an attempt is made to bring a bill to the 
floor in violation of this rule, any member could raise a point of 
order requiring the bill to be immediately pulled from the House 
calendar until it can be brought to the floor in a manner consistent 
with this rule.
  Madam Speaker, the practice of rushing bills to the floor before 
individual members have had a chance to study the bills is one of the 
major factors contributing to public distrust of Congress. Voting on 
bills before members have had time to study them makes a mockery of 
representative government and cheats the voters who sent us here to 
make informed decisions on public policy. Adopting the sunlight rule is 
one of, if not the, most important changes to the House rules this 
Congress could make to restore public trust in, and help preserve the 
integrity of, this institution. I hope my colleagues will support this 
change to the House rules.

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