Shortly after Ohio Republican John Boehner was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives, and the 113th Congress was sworn in Thursday, the House approved rules for its new session. As with the last Congress, the rules include a requirement that all legislation be made public at least three days before a vote. This was a great idea when it was first adopted, but we urge House leadership to do a better job heeding it this time.

During the first two years of the Obama administration, Republicans were incensed as Democrats, who controlled both houses of Congress, rammed through major legislation such as the economic stimulus package and the national health care law without allowing lawmakers and the public adequate opportunity to read and debate the legislation. In the 2010 midterms, Republicans hopped on the “read the bill” bandwagon and vowed to usher in more transparency if they were to gain power.