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August 25, 2006
The Secret Hold
Okay, this just annoys the heck out of me.
A bill to promote government transparency faces an uncertain future because of a far-from-transparent hold placed upon it in the Senate.Consider the irony. A bill to increase government openness is held up by an arcane senate rule that promotes secrecy. The Porkbusters are trying to get to the bottom of this by encouraging people to write their Senators. The letter I sent Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins is below the fold.An unknown number of senators have blocked legislation to create a public, searchable Web site of all federal grants and contracts. Senate rules permit any senator to anonymously block consideration of a bill on the floor, effectively killing the measure.
“Hopefully the person or persons blocking it will realize it’s important to promote transparency and not secrecy in government,” said John Hart, spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the bill’s sponsor.
To me, this is another chance to kick Bill Frist. He could call a vote and change the Senate rules to forbid this sort of tactic, but is instead being his normal feckless self. Leadership seems to be a foreign concept to our Majority Leader.
If the Republicans don't find a way to expose the 'secret senator' and move that legislation forward, they risk irritating (again) the very people that put them in office. I know I've been down on the Republicans for the past few months, but with this sort of thing going on, who can blame me?
Senator,
I am writing to thank you for co-sponsoring S. 2590, the “Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.” A government chosen by the people should be as transparent as possible, and it’s heartening to see a senator who is willing to stand up for that principle.
Unfortunately, not everyone in the Senate shares your view, as evidenced by a hold placed on the legislation by an unknown senator. The spectacle of an elected public servant anonymously using senate rules to hold up legislation that would bring openness to government is shameful and should be embarrassing to all who serve in that legislative body.
For that reason, I urge you to speak out and encourage the senator or senators who have placed this secret hold to drop their objection and allow the legislation to go forward. If that is not possible, I ask that those who have spoken out in favor of government openness release the name of the senator or encourage him or her to come forward and explain their objections publicly instead of hiding behind arcane rules.
It is maddening to see a democratically-elected, deliberative body such as the Senate held up by such an undemocratic tactic. While your co-sponsorship of the bill suggests you are not the one who has placed the hold, I encourage you to publicly declare that fact as a way to assist those of us who are working to identify that senator or group of senators.
Thank you for your time, and for all you do to serve the people of Maine.
Posted by slublog at August 25, 2006 12:00 AM
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