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Bills before Congress are too long and complicated – Time to shorten and simplify legislation
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Leroy N. Soetoro
Mar 10, 2019, 2:31:14 PM3/10/19
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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/bills-before-congress-are-too-long-and-
complicated-time-to-shorten-and-simplify-legislation
One of the most famous speeches in American history – President Abraham
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address – is a mere 272 words long and written in
clear, strong and simple language.
Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are longer, but still
short enough that each can be read in one sitting. Each uses language that
can be easily understood and appreciated today by the average high school
student.
The same can’t be said of the bills our elected representatives in
Congress are asked to vote on. The legislation can go on and on and on.
The longest bills top 1,000 pages and a few are closer to 2,000 pages.
It seems like you need a graduate degree and years of experience working
in Congress to understand what the measures actually say. Members of the
Senate and House have to rely on their staffs to explain to them what
they’re voting on – the bills are too long and complicated for most
members to read them all the way through and understand them.
Highly specialized staffers, government lawyers, lobbyists, industry
executives and their lawyers write these bills. Often bills are purposely
written to obscure the true intent, meaning and effect.
Why? To make bills subject to interpretation by those trying to gain an
edge. This only invites lawsuits and agency confusion.
And it’s not just the language that’s confusing. Most bills reference
other laws and regulations that must be studied to fully understand the
legislation.
Since our lawmakers can’t really understand the bills they’re voting on,
how can we expect them to make the right decisions in their votes?
It’s time to shorten and simplify legislation. For starters, I say that no
single bill should exceed 50 pages. And all bills should be required to
meet a “plain language” standard. These two steps would force staff
members writing the bills to make the legislation understandable and
succinct.
In addition, every bill should be accompanied by a list of everyone who
had a hand in crafting the measure – not just congressional staff but also
lobbyists, outside lawyers, researchers at think tanks, people working at
nonprofits and others.
Many states have enacted laws that require consumer contracts to be
written in plain language. For example, New York state requires such
contracts to be “written in a clear and coherent manner using words with
common and everyday meanings.”
It’s ironic that the federal government enacted the “Truth in Lending Act”
that requires certain disclosures be made to consumers, yet there is no
requirement for those disclosures to be written in plain language.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Our Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” But so much of the
legislation that affects the lives of the American people today is written
in language almost none of us has the time or ability to understand. It’s
as if the bills were written in some secret code understood only by
insiders.
The only way to ensure a more informed and engaged public – and more
informed and engaged members of Congress – is to simplify and shorten that
secret code so it’s no longer secret. That way we can all understand what
our elected representatives are up to under the Capitol dome – and so can
they.
--
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
ObamaCare is a total 100% failure and no lie that can be put forth by its
supporters can dispute that.
Obama jobs, the result of ObamaCare. 12-15 working hours a week at minimum
wage, no benefits and the primary revenue stream for ObamaCare. It can't
be funded with money people don't have, yet liberals lie about how great
it is.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
complicated-time-to-shorten-and-simplify-legislation
One of the most famous speeches in American history – President Abraham
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address – is a mere 272 words long and written in
clear, strong and simple language.
Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are longer, but still
short enough that each can be read in one sitting. Each uses language that
can be easily understood and appreciated today by the average high school
student.
The same can’t be said of the bills our elected representatives in
Congress are asked to vote on. The legislation can go on and on and on.
The longest bills top 1,000 pages and a few are closer to 2,000 pages.
It seems like you need a graduate degree and years of experience working
in Congress to understand what the measures actually say. Members of the
Senate and House have to rely on their staffs to explain to them what
they’re voting on – the bills are too long and complicated for most
members to read them all the way through and understand them.
Highly specialized staffers, government lawyers, lobbyists, industry
executives and their lawyers write these bills. Often bills are purposely
written to obscure the true intent, meaning and effect.
Why? To make bills subject to interpretation by those trying to gain an
edge. This only invites lawsuits and agency confusion.
And it’s not just the language that’s confusing. Most bills reference
other laws and regulations that must be studied to fully understand the
legislation.
Since our lawmakers can’t really understand the bills they’re voting on,
how can we expect them to make the right decisions in their votes?
It’s time to shorten and simplify legislation. For starters, I say that no
single bill should exceed 50 pages. And all bills should be required to
meet a “plain language” standard. These two steps would force staff
members writing the bills to make the legislation understandable and
succinct.
In addition, every bill should be accompanied by a list of everyone who
had a hand in crafting the measure – not just congressional staff but also
lobbyists, outside lawyers, researchers at think tanks, people working at
nonprofits and others.
Many states have enacted laws that require consumer contracts to be
written in plain language. For example, New York state requires such
contracts to be “written in a clear and coherent manner using words with
common and everyday meanings.”
It’s ironic that the federal government enacted the “Truth in Lending Act”
that requires certain disclosures be made to consumers, yet there is no
requirement for those disclosures to be written in plain language.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Our Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” But so much of the
legislation that affects the lives of the American people today is written
in language almost none of us has the time or ability to understand. It’s
as if the bills were written in some secret code understood only by
insiders.
The only way to ensure a more informed and engaged public – and more
informed and engaged members of Congress – is to simplify and shorten that
secret code so it’s no longer secret. That way we can all understand what
our elected representatives are up to under the Capitol dome – and so can
they.
--
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
ObamaCare is a total 100% failure and no lie that can be put forth by its
supporters can dispute that.
Obama jobs, the result of ObamaCare. 12-15 working hours a week at minimum
wage, no benefits and the primary revenue stream for ObamaCare. It can't
be funded with money people don't have, yet liberals lie about how great
it is.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
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