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Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Sean C. Bonyun
September 24, 2009
(202) 225-3761

Upton Joins Bipartisan Effort to Require All Bills Be Publicly Available at Least 72 Hours before Vote
Effort to force a vote on “sunshine” measure of critical importance as massive health care package is currently being put together

Washington, DC – Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) has joined a bipartisan effort to mandate that all legislation before the House of Representatives be made public for at least 72 hours before receiving a vote on the House floor. Reps. Brian Baird (D-WA) and Greg Walden (R-OR) are spearheading the effort to force the vote on H.Res.554 that has been languishing in committee for the last several months. Over one hundred members have signed the discharge petition – House rules dictate that 218 members, or a simple majority of House members, must sign the petition to force a vote.

“The public deserves better than the rush jobs on the stimulus package and cap-and-trade - bills with a face value of more than two trillion dollars that were withheld from the public, press and elected Representatives until just mere hours prior to the vote. Not to mention lobbyists downtown seem to always get their hands on legislation long before Members of Congress do,” said Upton. “The stakes could not be higher with a looming government takeover of healthcare on the horizon, legislation that could affect one-seventh of our entire economy. We have a responsibility to the American public to make available the final health care package before it is brought up for a vote – it is well past time to embrace the transparency this Congress has been preaching.”

The bipartisan measure that Upton and dozens of Republicans and Democrats are seeking to force a vote on, H. Res. 554, would amend House rules to require that all legislation be readily accessible for public review on the Internet for at least 72 hours before a vote on the House floor. Exceptions would be made for classified material, which would continue to be handled under existing laws and rules. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Baird in June. Upton is a co-sponsor of the measure.

“Adding some sunshine to the legislative process makes sense,” said Upton. “This ‘vote first, ask questions later’ mentality must come to an end – we should welcome this opportunity to promote commonsense, good governing.”

Earlier this year, Members of Congress, the public, and press were given 12 hours to review the 1,073-page long stimulus bill that cost $787 billion. The 1,428 page cap-and-trade bill, which some studies anticipate will cost at least $1.5 trillion, was available for 16.5 hours before the vote.

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