Freshmen Congressmen Urge Senior Colleagues For Increased Transparency

A number of freshmen Republican Representatives called upon their more senior colleagues in both parties to enhance transparency in the legislative process by putting bills online several days before reaching the floor.

“As a freshman member of the House, I was disappointed earlier this year when the Democratic leadership refused to allow members of Congress to read and reflect on landmark legislation,” said Rep. Steve Austria (R-Ohio). “It’s just common sense ... this Democratic leadership and previous Congresses, including Republican ones, have failed to live up to this common-sense standard.

Approximately half of the Congressmen in attendance had served in state and local legislatures, and pointed to the stricter transparency guidelines they had worked under as proof that increased transparency is feasible.

“One week before we had a city commission meeting, everything on that agenda was published online,” said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), who had served as mayor in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Roe added that the guidelines he was subjected to were so strict, that he was not permitted to discuss policy amongst other lawmakers in a private setting.

“It made it a little more difficult, you couldn’t make deals, but guess who benefited? The people of our city.”