Read the bill before voting

Tom McGeehan, Somerset, Ky.
Commonwealth Journal

July 01, 2009 10:26 am

— Dear Editor:
I heard this morning on the Bill Bennett radio show that the energy bill recently passed by the U.S. Congress contains a 300-page addition, which was inserted into the bill only hours before the vote took place.
According to Dr. Bennett, few if any members of Congress read the addition, and didn’t know what was in it when they voted.
A caller to the Bennett show said he has read the entire 300-page supplement. He said it contains a provision which requires the federal government to inspect every home before it goes on the market. Should the home fail to meet minimum federal energy conservation standards, the home must be upgraded and reinspected before it can be sold.
If this is true, the bill is bad news for owners of older homes. It is good news for the home remodeling contractor lobby, which could have been instrumental in writing the provision.
Now it’s the U.S. Senate’s turn to vote on this bill. Let’s hope they read it first.
Tom McGeehan
Somerset, Ky.