(From Downsizer DC:)

Is it even remotely true that Congress doesn't read the legislation it
passes? The following fact might serve to prove it. During the weeks
of May 14 and May 21 . . .

* The Senate passed 13 bills totaling a whopping 682 pages, and, if my
count is correct . . .
* The House passed an incredible 27 bills totaling an outrageous 1,817
pages!

Do you think any member of Congress read any of these bills? Even
partially? ... I've appended a full list of this legislation below,
after my signature. To read even the titles and the summary
descriptions of these bills is equivalent to a strong shot of
Novocaine straight through the
cranium.

Pity the poor Congress-critter faced with voting on this stuff. ...
"Oh heck, I might as well vote yes on all this stuff. It's not like
it's going to cost me anything." ... We must change this state of
affairs. Members of Congress must pay a cost for imposing costs on
you. ... The
passage of the "Read the Bills Act," which will force Congress to
undergo the fatigue of actually reading all of the legislation they
want to impose on you.

It's time to slam Congress about the "Read the Bills Act." Tell them
you know they just passed hundreds of pages of legislation without
reading it. Tell them you consider this intolerable. Tell them to pass
the "Read the Bills Act." You can do so HERE. action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=27>

These are the bills Congress passed over the weeks of May 14 through
May 26. The descriptions are taken, generally verbatim, from the
Congressional Record's Daily Digests:

THE SENATE

6 federal building designation bills - 1 page each

H.R. 1495 - Water Resources Development Act to provide for the
conservation and development of water and related resources, to
authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various projects for
improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States - 434 pages
(!)

H.R. 2206 - U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery,
and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act making emergency
supplemental appropriations and additional supplemental
appropriations for agricultural and other emergency assistance for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007 - 107 pages

S. Con. Res. 21 - Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report
setting forth the congressional budget for the United States
Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate
budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012 - 93
pages

S. 254 - to award posthumously a Congressional gold medal to
Constantino Brumidi - 5 pages

S. 375 - Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act
Waiver to waive application of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act to a specific parcel of real property
transferred by the United States to 2 Indian tribes in the State of
Oregon - 6 pages

H.R. 2080 - District of Columbia Home Rule Act Amendment, to amend
the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to conform the District
charter to revisions made by the Council of the District of Columbia
relating to public education, clearing the measure for the President
- 1 page

S. 33 - to redesignate the Office for Vocational and Adult Education
as the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education - 1 page

H.R. 1675 - Preservation Approval Process Improvement Act to suspend
the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
regarding electronic filing of previous participation certificates
and regarding filing of such certificates with respect to certain
low-income housing investors, clearing the measure for the President
- 2 pages

H.R. 1676 - Native American Home Ownership Opportunity Act to
reauthorize the program of the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development for loan guarantees for Indian housing, clearing the
measure for the President - 1 page

S. 231 - Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program
Authorization to authorize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant Program at fiscal year 2006 levels through 2012 - 1
pages

S. 398 - to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Prevention Act to identify and remove barriers to reducing child
abuse - 22 pages

S. 1532 - to extend tax relief to the residents and businesses of an
area with respect to which a major disaster has been declared by the
President under section 410 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (FEMA-1699-DR) by reason of severe
storms and tornados beginning on May 4, 2007, and determined by the
President to warrant individual or individual and public assistance
from the Federal Government under such Act - 8 pages

S. 1537 - to authorize the transfer of certain funds from the Senate
Gift Shop Revolving Fund to the Senate Employee Child Care Center - 1
page

THE HOUSE

7 federal building designation bills - 1 page each

H.R. 634 - to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving
in the Armed Forces of the United States - 7 pages

H.R. 692 - Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code
Amendment Act of 2007 to authorize the Governor of a State,
territory, or possession of the United States to order that the
National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or
possession in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces
from that State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on
active duty - 3 pages

H.R. 916 - John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of
2007 to provide for loan repayment for prosecutors and public
defenders - 12 pages

H.R. 1700 - COPS Improvements Act of 2007 to amend the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT
grant program - 16 pages

H.R. 1773 - Safe American Roads Act of 2007 to limit the authority of
the Secretary of Transportation to grant authority to motor carriers
domiciled in Mexico to operate beyond United States municipalities
and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border - 10 pages

H.R. 1036 - Authorizing the Administrator of General Services to
convey a parcel of real property to the Alaska Railroad Corporation -
5 pages

H.R. 1585 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 for
military activities of the Department of Defense and to prescribe
military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2008 - 870 pages (!)

H.R. 2272 - to invest in innovation through research and development,
and to improve the competitiveness of the United States - 134 pages

H.R. 1525 - Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2007 to amend
title 18, United States Code, to discourage spyware - 6 pages

H.R. 1615 -Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2007 to
amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties for aiming
laser pointers at airplanes - 4 pages

S. 214 - Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007
to amend chapter 35 of title 28, United States Code, to preserve the
independence of United States attorneys - 4 pages

H.R. 2264 - Amending the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and
exporting cartels illegal - 2 pages

S. 1104 - Increasing the number of Iraqi and Afghani translators and
interpreters who may be admitted to the United States as special
immigrants - 8 pages

H.R. 2399 - Amending the Immigration and Nationality Act and title
18, United States Code, to combat the crime of alien smuggling and
related activities - 15 pages

H.R. 1427 - Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007 - 360 pages

H.R. 1252 - Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act: H.R. 1252 to
protect consumers from price-gouging of gasoline and other fuels - 11
pages

H.R. 2429 - to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
provide an exception to the 60-day limit on Medicare reciprocal
billing arrangements between two physicians during the period in
which one of the physicians is ordered to active duty as a member of
a reserve component of the Armed Forces - 2 pages

H.R. 67 - Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2007, to improve the
outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs - 10 pages

H.R. 1660 - to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish
a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region - 5
pages

H.R. 612 -Returning Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act of 2007
to extend the period of eligibility for health care for combat
service in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities from two years
to five years after discharge or release - 3 pages

H.R. 1470 - Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act to
require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans
at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers - 2 pages

H.R. 2199 - Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term
Support Act of 2007 - 25 pages

H.R. 2239 - Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
Benefits Act to expand eligibility for vocational rehabilitation
benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs - 3 pages

H.R. 1100 - Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site Boundary
Revision Act of 2007 - 3 pages

H.R. 2317 - Lobbying Transparency Act of 2007 to amend the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995 to require registered lobbyists to file
quarterly reports on contributions bundled for certain recipients - 8
pages

H.R. 2316 - Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 to
provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and
enforcement of lobbying laws and regulations - 40 pages

H.R. 2206 - U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery,
and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007: Concurred in the
Senate amendment with an amendment to H.R. 2206, making emergency
supplemental appropriations and additional supplemental
appropriations for agricultural and other emergency assistance for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007. The House amendment was
divided into two separate questions and voted on accordingly as House
amendment No. 1 and House amendment No. 2, to the Senate amendment -
249 pages