Conyers Sees No Point in Members Reading 1,000-Page Health Care Bill--Unless They Have 2 Lawyers to

Conyers Sees No Point in Members Reading 1,000-Page Health Care Bill--Unless They Have 2 Lawyers to Interpret It for Them

www.cnsnews.com

Monday, July 27, 2009
By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter

(CNSNews.com) - During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.

“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers.

“What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is unbelievable, yet it is not unexpected in this day and age of corrupt worthless government that is of the elite, by the elite, and for the elite. I really want to know what we are paying these moron legislators for if they refuse to read legislative bills…or any other for that matter! They seem to think that the legislative process only involves placing their own pork into a bill just to pander to their constituents so they can get reelected.

To the legislators:

Your job not only involves writing bills, it also involves reading them and adhering to the constitution. You might want to try it for once instead of working only to line your own pockets and consolidate your own power and wealth. You work for us! We don’t work for you! Do your damn job or you are history!

Note the video at the end of the article


[edit on 27-7-2009 by LiquidMirage]

actually he has a point
the bill shouldn't be this long or complicated

Ron Paul has a good motto he stands by

Regardless of the bill, if he doesn't have enough time to read it he always votes nay.

More congressmen and the senate can learn from this!

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
actually he has a point
the bill shouldn't be this long or complicated

Ron Paul has a good motto he stands by

Regardless of the bill, if he doesn't have enough time to read it he always votes nay.

More congressmen and the senate can learn from this!

I agree that bills should not be hundreds or even thousands of pages in length. A bill should never be more than perhaps 20 pages. The point I was trying to make is that congress has a habit of making bills many pages in length, probably to make it more difficult for people to read through it. But no matter how long the bill is it should be read in full by every representative and senator! Many of these morons will vote "yea" on this bill (and others) whether they have read it or not.

reply to post by LiquidMirage


If I remember correctly the bailout bill was over 1,000 pages and was given to congress to read late at night, and was to be voted on early morning.

It was next to impossible to have read it.

It's not always the reader's fault

reply to post by ModernAcademia


I would agree with you that they can often have no time to read the bills. Nevertheless, they can make the time to care about something other than the seat in which their fat butt rests, and they can join in unison with others of like sentiment, and say that, "This bill was introduced last minute, giving us no opportunity to read it, and here are the interests behind the bill." Very few will, because most are shells of humanity. Most of our citizens as well, are either shells of humanity or are dumbfounded as to how to kill this dangerous machine. The second we stop electing show dogs is the second we can get back on the right track. Only someone who speaks directly, humbly, intelligently without the Hollywood actor bug should ever be elected. IMHO, if they do not meet these criteria, they are a destructive, exploitative force not worthy of office, or a job at (insert crap job here).

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
reply to post by LiquidMirage

 

If I remember correctly the bailout bill was over 1,000 pages and was given to congress to read late at night, and was to be voted on early morning.

It was next to impossible to have read it.

It's not always the reader's fault

Yes it is the readers fault! If they did not have time to read it in full then they should have either voted nay or refused to vote at all until EVERYONE had sufficient time to read it in full! The fact that they didn't shows how reckless they are!

reply to post by LiquidMirage


Good Find; I do agree Congress should not write bills that are over a thousand pages. Has anyone actualy tried to read this thing? I have a boy does it hurt my head. Why do they try and make things so damn difficult.

I find these remarks quite disingenuous of Conyers to say this. I can plainly see him on the floor spouting how we need to hurry and pass both this and the stimulus because of the urgency to the public welfare! When you see who is in their offices as aids who actually write them or have spoken to these same aids when you call to voice your opinion against some bill and get insulted by them, you can understand how these terrible bills are written! Our representatives have no clue as to what they are voting for and are just giving lip service to the public!

Zindo

[edit on 7/27/2009 by ZindoDoone]

Sounds like Conyers is in over his head, and needs to be replaced with a competent person that can perform the duties he assured the people he could do by campaigning for his office, and the voters trusted him to perform by voting him into that office.

Voting 'Yea' on a bill you do not have full understanding of should be a federal crime, and punishable by a hefty penalty. This shows blatant incompetency on the part of the lawmaker, and should not be tolerated.

[edit on 7/27/09 by Ferris.Bueller.II]

Like many have said, this is absolutely unbelievable!! Their essential job is to write legislation and read legislature before it becomes law. However, I don't think many elected legislatures personally read bills and delegate the reading to aids and they go off their summation. This is a scary trend because once these bills are ratified and become law it is very difficult to reverse.

However, congressman Conyers is only stating the truth. I am all for legislation that is simple and to the point, instead of pages upon pages of legalese. Like one person mentioned about congressman Paul, if it is too long and too complicated; then he votes it down. Maybe more in the House and Senate should follow his example. These people need to start taking their jobs seriously and stop just showing up for a paycheck. If they don't want to do their jobs correctly then they should be removed from office at election time!


[edit on 27-7-2009 by Jakes51]

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


deliberate obfuscation that only emboldens them to introduce more byzantine bills obliterating any ostensible opportunity for objectiveness transcending the obfuscation....and, yes, I am being ironic. Insert pseudo-intellectual nonsense wrapped around unclear statements that would usurp power, for the masses will believe that anything with words gleamed from Word Smart TM is actual intelligence, and not stupidity masquerading as wisdom...still being ironic. The problem is, the sociopathic liars eventually believe their bull crap, and they then cease to exist, becoming functions of some idiotic program; they can no longer think for themselves, but they have to follow the paths of an ideology, blindly I might add.

Even if Conyers had two lawyers available, I seriously doubt he would read the legislation even then.

One would think that he would have been reading it ever since he got his copy.

I guess it is more important to give speeches than to do his job.

I would understand the comment if the body politic was made up of common American citizens who weren't elite career politicians who campaign on the depth of their 'commitment' to serve the public. And by the way, aren't over 90% lawyers to begin with?

The reason for the the 1,000-page bills and such is not due tot he complexity of the issue; the reason is because you can't hide the coddling of special interests inside a bill that can be interpreted by average people.

The entire political cabal is corrupt beyond repair. They actually believe the crap they spew half the time. If you can't understand the tools and vehicles that the government produces, why do you work there? By what virtue are these people placed into these positions? ... I'll tell you... Madison Avenue and Hollywood marketing.

You and I are fools if we expect the human socialite waste they offer up to actually be the 'heroes' and 'patriots' they claim to be. Should we really expect that because these people can read and memorize speeches, THAT makes them 'good for the country'?

The culprit and cause of our political woes all comes from the PARTY. Not the hapless opportunistic elitist clowns they plaster on TV with patriotic background music and bloated lies about 'who they are' and 'what they care about.'

Some morons actually think they know what they're doing when they drop a 6 pound wad of paper on the desk and say vote on it NOW because the President says so, or the Banks will bankrupt our economy unless we vote... right away....

LAW should not be a matter of "HURRY UP". That the media propagates this as a valid notion is telling of who THEY serve.

E=MC^2. I just wanted to prove a point. You know how much info is wrapped up in this statement? There is no need to ever write a 1000 page bill, except for the purposes of deception, subversion, and hidden control.

This is just too good.

How does this assclown keep getting reelected?

He appeared in Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 discussing the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, stating that members of Congress "don't read most of the bills".

Conyers frequently posts at Daily Kos and Democratic Underground. Since May 2005, he's been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post and his own blog.

Source.

He's been in the Congress since 1965, and is the second-longest serving incumbent member of the House. He has admitted to not reading the legislation he votes on, but does have time to blog on huffy.

This guy is the textbook definition of incompetency.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


He is also the textbook definition of sociopathic parasite. He sees none outside himself. Ah, behold, the infinite majesty of Conyers; it magnifies and illuminates all with its infinite cascade of glorious reflections. His mere presence causes humble trembling and amplifies beauty throughout the land.

Edit: Ferris Bueller was one of my favorite movies as a child.

[edit on 27-7-2009 by orwellianunenlightenment]

reply to post by LiquidMirage


If the congress members don't want to read the bill, they should either:
A) Not vote.
or
B)Resign so someone that is willing to read the bill may take their place.

but why would the representatives care what the people think?

reply to post by Miraj


The problem is, many people are narcissistic functions of themselves, so they vote a narcissist into power to represent them. Narcissists tend to only see one side of the coin, so to speak, so they also fit in perfectly with the divide and conquer tactic. The most diabolical and intelligent narcissists see both sides of the coin, but they selfishly try to keep the lesser narcissists only half aware, for the sake of control. Throw into the mix the heavy marketing structure of the west (yall should really check out the Century of the Self if you haven't already), and you get a culture of mutual parasites. People happy to be slaves for either a handout or the continued exploitation of someone other than them, which is in effect an indirect handout. Rulers happy to be slaves of ideology in order to share in the spoils. You get one big, giant, self-eating system. Ah, but did those in the east not always say, "The dragon always eats itself."

[edit on 27-7-2009 by orwellianunenlightenment]

[edit on 27-7-2009 by orwellianunenlightenment]

Just one thing that has not been addressed . . . if congress members has not read the bill, then who wrote it?