Rand Paul wants to make Congress efficient again
Christopher Tremoglie
To help the legislative branch be less of a bureaucratic mess and better representatives of their constituents, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has reintroduced several pieces of legislation that would make Congress better at its job. The Write the Laws Act, One Subject at a Time Act, Read the Bills Act, and a new Senate rule were all proposed by Paul last week to empower congressmen and senators to honor their obligations as legislators and be more effective and efficient in governing.
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“Too often in Congress, legislation is pushed through without hearings, amendments, or debate,” he stated in a press release. “I firmly believe the American people have a right to be part of the legislative process. My bills will allow citizens sufficient time to read legislation and give input to members of Congress as it considers policies that impact all Americans’ lives. I will continue to stand by my pledge to increase transparency and accessibility in the U.S. Senate.”
Paul should be applauded for his efforts in holding Congress accountable and encouraging the public to become knowledgeable about the bills it votes on. Both are integral parts of a successfully functioning government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It’s disappointing that there need to be laws passed to do this, but it is better than the alternative.
The Read the Bills Act would require the entire text of a bill to be published at least seven days before a scheduled vote. This would ensure all bills were timely in allowing Congress to read what was contained in the bill.
The Write the Laws Act is important because, if put into effect, it would “end the unconstitutional delegation of legislative power” by some members of Congress. This would prohibit any legislative branch member from delegating their responsibilities to unelected officials. It would hold each member of Congress accountable and mandate that they all perform the duties that they were elected to do. And it would necessitate the “Comptroller General of the United States to issue a report to Congress detailing the extent of the problem of unconstitutional delegation.
The One Subject at a Time Act is self-explanatory. It goes a long way to ending the problematic practice of including multiple issues in one bill. It would stipulate that any bill or resolution has only one subject and is “limited to only one subject,” and it should be “clearly and descriptively expressed in the title.” It would also restrict appropriations bills from “containing any general legislation or change to a provision of existing law.”
Furthermore, Paul’s proposed Senate rule would grant the Senate enough time to read each bill thoroughly, providing one day for “every 20 pages included in the measure or matter in the usual form plus one session day for any number of remaining pages less than 20 in the usual form.”
Objectively, these acts help ensure Congress is true to its obligations. Paul’s efforts would mandate accountability and attempt to eliminate agenda-driven pork that has little, if anything, to do with the subject of the bills that are voted on.
Paul’s legislation is a step in the right direction that all members of Congress should support. If anyone objects, it will reveal a lot about their character and true intentions — about who is genuinely for the country’s people and who pretends to be.
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