procedural posturing

[John Wonderlich]

There's a spectacular debate right now in the House going on between Hoyer and Cantor on transparency and the stimulus (and SCHIP).

I'm following on twitter, using #readthebill as a hashtag.

Cantor is asking for full text of bills, and a chance to offer amendments, referencing the stimulus bill and SCHIP, and Hoyer is acknowledging the concerns, and alternatively justifying through appeals to legislative urgency, and committing to reviewing bills and having regular procedure. 

Hopefully we can find a video soon, it's a great discussion.

Hoyer was just corrected by a staffer, and told that the bill text for the stimulus is online *now*.  Anyone know where that is?

[John Wonderlich]

links to bill text:

http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryBill01-15-09.pdf
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryReport01-15-09.pdf

[Gabriela Schneider]

Ugh, pdfs. The top of the docs say they're .xml files. Sure would be nice if the Committee could post in a better format.

--
Gabriela Schneider
Communications Director
Sunlight Foundation
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http://sunlightfoundation.com
twitter: @stereogab

[John Wonderlich]

Updating this thread on stimulus procedure and transparency, I just got word that Majority Leader Hoyer made the following announcement on the House floor.  I hope CSPAN's video embedder gets updated soon, here's my (somewhat failed) attempt at embedding the last go-around of procedural discussion on the House floor over stimulus transparency.  (At least the "source" link can be followed to view the previous discussion between Hoyer and Cantor.)

(start today's Hoyer speech)

it is my hope that the committee markups will be completed tonight. maybe early this morning. as you know the appropriations committee marked up yesterday. had a full markup. adopted six republican amendments and a number of democratic amendments. i don't know whether -- i don't know what the amendment status is in energy and commerce or ways and means, but i expect all those markups to be completed either late tonight. i hope, it is my hope that once those markups are complete that by tomorrow night we will post the results on the web and that they will be available not 48 hours, but either tonight or saturday -- friday night or saturday, so that we'll have four days to review those items. i want to reiterate my hope and my expectation to state it even more strongly that you and the minority members, country, majority members will have 48 hours to review the product that is reported out of the committee after their markups. i yield back.