Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) recently spoke at a National Press Club luncheon. Listen to this short clip about health care reform legislation:
Here are some questions that I hope are on most Americans’ minds:
We live in a republic. We elect officials, in this case, Congressmen and Senators, to represent us. To truly represent us, shouldn’t these officials read bills that they vote into law or vote against to prevent from becoming law? Isn’t that one of the primary reasons they are there in Washington?
Conyers’ professed attitude (Why should I read the bill?) in the clip leads me to wonder, do any of our Congressmen or Senators read the bills they routinely vote on?
The Congressman states he needs two days to review the bill. Permission granted. Who said the Nation’s health care system required a complete overhaul in a matter of hours?
Conyers states he needs lawyers to help him understand the bill. He has a law degree. Conyers has been in the House of Representatives since 1964. If he can’t understand bills as written, who can?
Moreover, if 1000 page bills cannot be understood, then why didn’t attorney Conyers join forces with others who can’t or won’t read 1000 page bills to prevent 8-inch-thick bills from being written? After all, he’s been in Congress for 35 years. Why don’t they require bills to be written so they can understand them?
Who writes 1000 page bills that, apparently, no Congressman or Senator can understand, even if they took the time to read the bill?
Is it possible that no one on Capitol Hill wants us to read and understand the bill?
What were the citizens of Detroit, Michigan thinking when they elected John Conyers? What were they thinking when they re-elected him 20 times?
In February, the $787 billion stimulus passed after Congressmen and Senators had just a few hours to review the bill. Didn’t our elected officials learn then that this process should not be repeated?
Doesn’t this cavalier attitude make you question the qualifications of every Congressman and Senator in Washington?
Note: John Conyers is not alone in his failure to read bills before voting. He is merely the one Congressman to make his sentiments known to the public in the clip above.
Contributed by Michael Zimmerman
Direct: 808-457-9683
Michael@Michael-Zimmerman.com
www.Michael-Zimmerman.com
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