Numerous media pundits and blusterers are offering daily comments and sound bites about health reform. It can be interesting, enlightening, amusing, and even infuriating, but wouldn't you like to track Congress' actual legislation rather than just reading the opinions of others?
The Library of Congress' Thomas website is a great way to do this. Its bill summary page for HR 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, puts links to all the bill's minute details in one simple place: sponsors, related bills, committees, all congressional actions, and the full text of the bill as it is written so far. As you can see, HR 3200's current status is "committee consideration and mark-up session held." If you're not sure what this means, see Thomas' "How Our Laws Are Made." HR 3200 is at stage 5, "Consideration by Committee," so it still has a long way to go before it becomes a law. That gives you time to provide comments on the bill to your representative on the committee. In this bill's case there are five committees, whose web pages can be accessed from the House's website (Senate committees are found here).
You can use Thomas to track the progress of other bills as well. Use the home page to search for bills by word(s), bill number, or sponsor. To find other web resources about Congress and the legislative process, see our guide.
Yes, it is better to find out the details of the actual legislation and it's progress. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete