Washington, D.C. - Washington, D.C. - In standing by his belief that members of Congress must be given adequate time to review and reflect upon any bill that comes to the House floor, Congressman Brian Baird (WA-03) voted against the Stimulus Package tonight after it was presented to the House of Representatives within hours of passing in the Senate. Congressman Baird has previously voted against the Stimulus package on the grounds that the legislation does not follow the four P's of being practical, permanent, paid for, or lower petroleum costs. 

"I voted against the stimulus package to reflect my strong belief that members of Congress and the public be given adequate time to review and reflect upon any bill that comes on the House floor," said Congressman Baird.  "When Congress is asked to add more than $150 billion to America's debt, it is essential that we have our facts straight and that the public has the opportunity to review the legislation accordingly.  We must have an open process to ensure that we are being responsible in the way we do business to allow ourselves to make the best decisions possible for all Americans."

Last year, Congressman Brian Baird re-introduced legislation with Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), to ensure that members have adequate time to review and read legislation before being brought up for a vote.  H.Res.504 or the "72 Hour Bill," would require that all bills and conference reports be made available to members of Congress and the general public for 72 hours online before it can be brought to the House floor for a vote; repeals the "last six days" provision in current House Rules, which provides that the opportunity to read conference reports is automatically waived in the last six days of a congressional session; and, protects the exceptions to the current "three day rule," including declarations of war or national emergencies.
  
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