Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Brian Baird offered the following op-ed statement on today’s passage of the 1,213 page Defense Authorization Act, which members had approximately 3 hours to view before final passage:

I serve in Congress because I care profoundly for our nation and for its principles.  But the way in which the House of Representatives is being run does a disservice to our people, to our history and to the soldiers who are fighting to defend our safety and freedom. 

Today, the House voted to approve a Defense Authorization bill that was 1,213 pages long and authorized more than $401.3 billion dollars in spending.  This bill was available to be read by Members of Congress for only three hours before the vote was taken. Only three hours for twelve hundred pages and to authorize spending $401.3 billion dollars.   Three hours for the legislation that is at the core of our national defense and the safety of our troops.

Most Members of the House had read only a three page summary of this legislation before they voted.   More sadly still, this has become the regular order of business in “The People’s House.” 

The people deserve better.

The reason for the haste in moving this bill was solely so Members could race home in time for Veterans Day and make speeches.  In fact, and in fairness, the brief summaries of the legislation that were available said it included measures that will help our veterans and our active duty service members.  There are also projects that will benefit my state and district.  I am glad those components were in the bill and I had hoped to vote for it.  But rubber stamping laws without reading them is not what this nation was meant to be about; and not what this Congress should be about.  How ironic that the legislation authorizing the defense of this great republic does such a disservice to the very principles of republican government. 

I could not in good conscience vote either for or against the bill because I could not in good conscience say that anyone in Congress knew just what was in the bill.  For that reason, I voted present.

Some will undoubtedly attempt to make political gain out of attacking my vote and may even go so far as to suggest it was unpatriotic.  If we truly care about our national defense, and we truly want to support our troops, the Congress should take its responsibility seriously and insist that we really know what we are voting on.  Only when we do this can we truly say we deserve the title of serving in “The People’s House,” and only then can we honestly claim the mantle of patriotism.

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