Senators look to Wyoming to change culture of Congress
by Senators Enzi and Barasso
February 10, 2014
Washington, D.C. – In order to limit backroom deal-making and stop Congress from passing bills with countless unrelated measures, U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo., are taking a page from the Wyoming Legislature’s handbook.
Enzi and Barrasso introduced a bill recently that would require any legislation considered by the Senate to be limited to a single issue, the same rule the Wyoming Legislature is required to follow when drafting legislation.
"Too often Congress relies on brokering massive backroom deals without thinking about the unintended consequences. The more ‘comprehensive’ a bill is the more it ends up becoming incomprehensible," said Enzi. "I learned in the Wyoming Legislature that one topic per bill is how you get things done. By following this example, we can inject a little common sense into Congress and curb the culture of deal-making."
"The Wyoming Legislature’s single topic bill rule is just one of the many ways in which Wyoming gets it right," said Barrasso. "Bills in Washington are often so massive and complex that they do more harm than good. If Congress would follow Wyoming’s lead, we could help solve a lot more problems for the American people."
Enzi and Barrasso’s bill S. RES. 351 would create a point of order against a bill or resolution that is not confined to a single issue. This point of order could only be overruled by a supermajority of 67 votes.
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