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an effort to create searchable online databases for government expenditures

a tool to highlight the hypocrisy of tax hikers

Constitutional or statutory requirement to rein in growth of revenues end expenditures

a commitment made by elected officials and candidates for elected office never to raise taxes

Raising the bar for tax increases

Requiring a cool-off period for all bills with a fiscal impact

pork-barrel spending - the broken windows of the budget

A Transparent and Accountable 111th Congress? Far From It

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 3:15 PM Add to Facebook Add to Twitter

With the 111th Congress convening today, the House will shortly adopt rules to govern itself.  If you thought after all the talk about more transparency and accountability on and off Capitol Hill over the past few months you'd see rules changes in that direction think again!

Quite the opposite is happening. The House majority is expected to pass rule changes that would do the following:

  • bar the minority party from offering alternative bills, amendments to bills
  • remove the guarantee of open debate via motions to recommit
  • repeal the six-year term limit for committee chairmen

Beyond repealing much of the procaedural progress made with the Contract with America in 1995, these changes would ultimately make it more difficult to oppose tax hikes and support tax cuts. Here's House Republican Leader John Boehner's column blasting the rules changes on RedState.com this morning.

Happy New Year!?


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