The convenience of reading the legislation
Has anybody else noticed the phrase being bantered about on Capitol Hill by opponents of the recent immigration legislation package?
It seems that the folks who support the legislation talk about it in broad strokes leaving out the specifics and claiming that this legislation is “much better than what we currently have,” and “this is a pivotal moment in the security of our country.”
Hmmm…
Something about this conversation sounds familiar. Like maybe about five years ago when the congress was debating whether or not to give President Bush the authority to attack Iraq.
Even now we’re receiving revelations that many (if not most of the people in the congress that voted to give the president the authority to attack Saddam Hussein’s banana republic) did not read the National Security Estimate associated with the decision made to support the president’s actions.
“Leaders” (John McCain and Hillary Clinton included) marched to the well of the Senate and condemned Saddam and his evil empire - without actually reading the one piece of material that should have helped them to make a decision.
Is it possible that the current Immigration legislation is what Yogi Berra used to call deja vu all over again? Have the people that are actually backing this legislation (McCain, Hillary and Obama) read the bill - I’ll wager that they have not (something that McCain hinted at last week during the New Hampshire debate).
Doesn’t that bother you?
I think my man Jim Gimore said it best in New Hampshire:
Gee, reading something before voting on it… what a novel idea.
Wendell, there is absolute truth to your observation and comment. But…I bet you are aware of how congressional offices operate and there are legislative aides and directors whose jobs involve drafting and fisking legislation. Are the elected officials expected to read it, be intimately familiar with it, or just know enough? That’s for us voters to determine with our vote re: who we support. There’s also an issue of efficacy - we, voters, want a lot of things done - we need to prioritize, again, through our votes, what we think is the most important thing or things that the elected person is supposed to be doing with their time, which is really our time, yes?
The devil in the details deja vu here is the Simpson-Mazzoli bill, which I’ve written about before. It took three congressional sessions in Reagan’s administration before it was passed, and he started pursuing it in 1981-82 and it didn’t pass until 1986.
If anyone wants to go read the legislation, they should be reading THAT legislation first and enforce the damn thing. Sure would free up a lot of time being spent on this current bill that is going no where.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
W, btw, it’s the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), not Natl Security Estimate. I was SHOCKED when I heard McCain admit he hadn’t read the NIE prior to his vote but instead had many briefings of its content. Well, that begs the question, “who was giving the briefings?” Perhaps it was the same neo-con hacks and chicken-hawks who manipulated the intell? But, I guess I should take my own advice I keep giving to you and not be shocked any lnger at the incompetence of politicians, regardless of party affiliation…..
PS-If you want some good insight into how the intell was manipulated, google Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff, Lawrence Wilkerson’s testimony before the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and his subsequent BBC interviews…
June 13th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Jill - As always thanks for your feedback. Yeah, I understand how things work and the reality is that there is no way for these folks to personally read everything, but what the hell are we paying their staffs for. The elected officials ARE their offices and the people that work for them. I expect the most amount of staff scrutiny on the really important issues. In my mind that means (as you know) summaries forwarded to the officerholder with THOROUGH vetting. You and I both know that Jeff Sessions didn’t put that list together, his staff did (but at least they recognized the issues and made certain he was aware of them).
I’m 100% with you on Simpson-Mazzoli. Enforce (and financially support) the laws that are on the books. If the necessary funds were put behind the ‘86 law - we wouldn’t be having the problems we have now.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
JFO - Thanks for the correction on the NIE. As for reading/not reading, I think Jill and I have hammmered on the realities involved,and…
don’t be surprised if this becomes more of a campaign issue in the coming months. This may be a new form of DC-speak for “it’s not my fault.” As in: “How should I have known, I didn’t read it.” Watch them use it as their I’m so busy that I can’t do it all excuse.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:30 pm