111th Congress - 9/9/2009
Congressman Lewis Introduces Resolution for House to Review Health Reform Bill for a Month Before Voting
 

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jerry Lewis has introduced legislation calling for the House of Representatives to make completed health reform legislation available to members and the public for one month before it is brought up for a floor vote.

“This legislation will be one of the most far-reaching policy changes most members of Congress ever consider, and it is absolutely essential that we know every word and sentence before a vote is taken,” said Lewis, the senior California Republican in Congress and the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I pledged to my constituents that I would introduce this resolution, and frankly every member of Congress owes this obligation to the people they represent. 

The health reform legislation that is being considered in the House has been marked up by three different committees, and there will likely be no formal hearings on the final version of the bill that is put together for the House floor, Lewis said. The current bill – H.R. 3200 – is already more than 1,000 pages long, and can be expected to grow, he said.

“During our August town hall meetings, my constituents made it very clear that they will hold all of Congress accountable for ensuring that there are no surprises in the final version of any health care reform bill,” Lewis said.  “The voters will not stand for another bill that hands out secret favors to special interests, like the last-minute change in the financial bailout bill that allowed huge bonuses to the very traders who allowed the system to collapse.”