A transparent government is a better government. Unfortunately, the 111th Congress has seen transparency dwindle as Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership cut backroom deals on legislation ranging from economic stimulus to health care reform.
Congress’s job is to respond to the will of the people. We need to get back to a government that is open and transparent and make sure that Congress is not overstepping its constitutional authority.
Here are some ideas to reform government:
- Allow all bills to be debated in the public square by publishing the text online for three days before the House votes on them;
- Require every bill debated on the House floor to contain a citation of constitutional authority;
- Allow for bipartisan debate on legislation;
- Immediately open the doors to the Rules Committee, which decides which bills and amendments are brought to the floor for a vote;
- Review the committee structure to ensure proper oversight of the ever-growing bureaucracy;
- Establish objective benchmarks for each federal program and hold the program accountable.
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