Lawmakers Actually Sit Down to Read the Bill

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In light of Rep. John Conyers’ statement that I posted about yesterday, I’m glad to see that other lawmakers are actually reading the bill and studying its various sections:

They were all House Democrats, boning up on the historic and controversial health-care reform legislation that’s gradually emerging from their chamber. The rough draft of the bill (“America’s Health Choices Act”) runs more than 1,000 pages, with amendments yet to come. Last week the Democrats decided that they needed to know more about the legislation before they go back to their constituents for the August recess. Hence the teach-in, an unusual basement seminar that lasted five hours with one break for procedural votes on the House floor.

Staffers led the members through the bill section by section — from Division A, Title I, Subtitle A, Section 101 all the way through Division C, Title V, Subtitle D, Section 2531.

“No one’s going to say we haven’t read the bill,” said Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Maryland Democrat, as he took a break from the closed-door gathering.

Now, we just to need to make sure that the final version is available for everyone else to read in time. Go to ReadTheBill.org to show your support.