(Cross-posted from Politology)
This week is the week when the bankruptcy bill (H.R. 685 or S.256) will be voted on in the House.
To put it simply, this bill illustrates our broken Congress. A representative government exists so we can empower our representatives to make the decisions that we don't have to think about. They are to make decisions on behalf of the public, on behalf of the people.
But the people did not lobby for this bill. Furthermore, this bill is not a necessary sacrifice, like taxes for defense, or laws for the public good.
How can we take action?
Congress will pass this bill, and it will only pass for one reason - they are able to sneak it by us and reward their lobbyists. The only way to oppose a bill like this is to attain critical mass in public opposition. But the bill is not sexy. It is politically boring. It hurts the public, but quietly. And therefore, it doesn't capture the public imagination, and the public gets abused by Congress.
It proves that our representative government does not function as it should. To abuse a public, all you need is a sleeping public, and a government that does not act in the interests of the public and cannot be held strictly accountable. We have all that.
This will continue to happen, more often and more intensely. The Schiavo affair just underscores that reality. The upcoming judicial appointment battles could drive it to an even greater extreme.
Call your representative to tell them to oppose the bill.
Call the cosponsors to get them to unsponsor.
Call the Democratic Letter Signers (the group that wrote a letter asking for fast passage in the House) to educate them and tell them to vote No.
The vote will be probably be considered on Wednesday.
Make no mistake - we probably cannot stop this bill. But the original goals of this effort were to do some muscle-flexing, to make some noise and get a data point illustrating what we can do. The results have been encouraging - wide support from all sides of the political blogosphere, and visibility in the mass media. Cynicism is not an option here. Register your protest.
What else?
This Tuesday, April 5, at 5 p.m., the House Rules Committee will decide whether to allow any amendments to the Bankruptcy Bill that was passed by the Senate (S. 256).
The House currently has an awful record at allowing debate on bills. As this editorial from Louise Slaughter (D-NY) explains:
The "closed rule" became standard fare when DeLay took control of the House leadership from House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., seven years ago. Gingrich promised two-thirds of the bills would be considered under an "open rule" that allowed amendments and plenty of debate.
Now only a handful of bills reach the floor under the "open rule," sometimes as low as 7 percent, the report says.
When the Senate passed this bill, it rejected a dozen crucial changes to make the bill humane - such as exemptions for serious medical problems, exemptions for those in the military, an interest rate limit of 30%, protecting the homes of the elderly, and comparably strict treatment of those who are rich.
A "closed rule" would not give anyone a chance to offer crucial amendments like these.
It is urgent that everyone call the Republican Members of the House Rules Committee to demand an "Open Rule" on S. 256, the Bankruptcy Bill.
DAVID DREIER, CA - CHAIRMAN (202)-225-2305
LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART, FL (202)-225-4211
DOC HASTINGS, WA (202)-225-5816
PETE SESSIONS, TX (202)-225-2231
ADAM PUTNAM, FL (202)-225-1252
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, WV (202)-225-2711
TOM COLE, OK (202)-225-6165
ROB BISHOP, UT (202)-225-0453
PHIL GINGREY, GA (202)-225-2931
There are only four Democratic members of the House Rules committee (anyone know why the ratio is only 9-4 in this committee?) and they're expected to vote for "Open Rule" already.
What else? There is a new protest site called Plastic Revolution. Today is one of the days to cut up your cards and credit card offers, and return the garbage to the credit card companies. Probably not productive, but satisfying - especially in large numbers. They are approaching their first 1,000 mailings.
Finally, think about the greater issues. Think about how we can make ourselves heard more clearly, how we can hold our Congress to greater accountability, and how we can force the government to represent "us" instead of "them". On Politology, we'll continue to explore ways to make it easier for the grassroots to engage and replace the dysfunctional, through the development of technology and educational curriculum. If you think you can help, please contact me.