Boehner Wants 'Bill Read' Rule

House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner is throwing his support behind a "read the bill" reform that would prohibit the House from considering new legislation until it has been posted on the Internet for at least three days.

The Ohio Republican has posted a new video on his AmericaSpeakingOut.com Web site, stating that "as a standard practice, thousand-page bills have been brought to the floor for a vote, without any time for members to read them. This isn't the way Americans expect their Congress to work."

Story continues after video.


Boehner says Democrats posted the revised wording of the $787 billion stimulus plan online after midnight, and then called for a vote less than 12 hours later. And the 1,200-page cap-and-trade bill was unveiled at 3 a.m. the day it was to be voted on, according to Boehner.

To address this concern, Boehner says he's supporting a resolution sponsored by Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, that would mandate any bill be available online for at least 72 hours before any vote on the measure can be taken. If Republicans are able to win back control of the House, Boehner plans to make the transparency measure one of his top priorities.

"With government growing, and spending out of control, Americans should be able to see exactly what each vote means for them and their families," Boehner states on the new video rolled out to promote the legislation. "This is a simple, common-sense idea, to provide greater accountability to Washington and more power to the American people."