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Pelosi was for three-day "read the bill" rule before she forgot it on Obamacare

By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
11/08/09 6:36 PM EST

There are two ways to view this video of a 2005 floor speech by then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, condemning Republican leaders for not allowing members three days to read "a bill of thousands of pages" before voting on it.

The video is posted on Breitbart TV and is well worth watching in the aftermath of Speaker Pelosi's legislative blitzkreig of the past week to gain passage of her version of Obamacare at all costs. It was done with not even a token nod in the direction of allowing the sort of legislative transparency she promised voters during the 2006 campaign enroute to becoming House Speaker.

The most obvious and immediate take on the video is disgust with the unsurpassed hypocriscy of Pelosi in forcing the Obamacare bill through to passage despite its massive size, its gigantic implications for changing the daily lives of every American, and its enormous impact on the financial integrity of the government.

But let's not forget the context in which Pelosi's 2005 speech was delivered. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other leaders of the Republican majority that held power prior to 2006 were routinely doing exactly what Pelosi just did wth Obamacare - jamming continuing resolutions consisting of thousands of pages and costing trillions of dollars through Congress with barely enough time to read the titles, much less the entire text.

Bottomline: A binding, 72-hour public posting of all legislation should be an inviolate rule no matter which party is in power in either chamber of Congress. And it cannot happen too soon. The people at Readthebill.org need your help.

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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

profoundmen

Nov 8, 2009

Nancy "my face is stuck like this" pelosi is pushing her and obamas socialist agenda.They don't listen,they don't argue,they attack,they belittle,they ignore,and keep pushing inch by inch toward their goals.He told us he was "going to reshape america",he told us he believed in "redistribution,he said he wanted a "public option",he said he was uneasy with "victory in afghanistan"many people didn't listen either.When do I get my rice cooker Fidel?

Mad Monica

Nov 9, 2009

They didn't forget anything. The left simply does not believe they are bound by the same rules and responsibilities as anyone else. Don't you realize the left knows better than you what YOU need? There's no need to post the bill. You just need to shut up and let them work. Feh.

Mad Monica

Nov 9, 2009

The left doesn't believe they are bound by the same rules as anyone else. They don't need to publish anything prior to passing it because they know better than anyone what's good for the public. How dare we expect them to abide by their own rules?

ggordon

Nov 9, 2009

...I'm shocked.

Retired CPO

Nov 9, 2009

Any person so arrogant as to require Uniformed military personnel to render her a salute is beyond salvation and beneath contempt. Reportedly, but not separately confirmed, She demands that uniquely military greeting when using her military 757. Why should she then comply with any other conventions, including her own words?

Frank Remly

Nov 10, 2009

This is a fascist administration. If they continue destroying the constitution at the current rate......can you spell REVOLUTION? It's coming.

Commonsense

Nov 10, 2009

Pelosi is an absolute dumocrat fool. I'd say send her back to CA but I'd feel sorry for the sensible folks who'd have to have anything to do with her.

Word Wiz

Nov 12, 2009

It doesn't matter which party it is. They're not representing us if they don't read what they are voting on.
Pelosi is head of the demoncrats and it is her head that needs to be lopped off (figuratively speaking, of course, for all pathetic pc'ers out there).

Dump Pelosi and the rest who don't and won't listen to the people or READ THE BILL.

I repeat: Three words: READ THE BILL!
If our legislators won’t do that,
then do all in your power to KILL THE BILL!

Too many secret amendments are getting passed into law that are weakening, yea, destroying the very fabric of America because Congress
is not doing their job. We are getting SOLD DOWN THE RIVER!

They get paid to do their job. If they won’t do their job according to
the job description and oath they have taken, then impeach them. Short
of that. Fire them! Since they work for US, VOTE ‘EM OUT!

If you agree go to HONOR IN OFFICE at www.HonorInOffice.org

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Pelosi was for three-day "read the bill" rule before she forgot it on Obamacare

By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
11/08/09 6:36 PM EST