DearMember of Congress:
On behalf of the 362,000 members of theNational Taxpayers Union, I write to encourage your support for efforts toincrease the transparency of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.
The Committee, established under theBudget Control Act of 2011, will be tasked with developing legislation toreduce the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. Despite the laudable goal, theCommittee operates with no prohibition on tax hikes. Moreover, the finalproduct will enjoy expedited floor consideration that limits debate, precludesthe opportunity for amendments, and eliminates procedural checks available tothe minority, such as the motion to recommit in the House and filibuster in theSenate. Given the stakes, and the very real threat of tax increases, Americansmust be granted a seat at the proceedings to ensure that the Committee is heldaccountable for its work.
Inevitably, the content of theCommittee’s deliberations and final bill will engender heated debate from theright and left of our political spectrum. Yet, everyone – regardless of wheretheir opinions may lie on this spectrum – should be united in demanding an endto the closed-door discussions that have typified many recent policy battles.Crafting a solution to Washington’s historic overspending problem is one of themost important debates this generation will face and Congress must make certainthat it is held in full view of those it will ultimately impact.
Toward that end, NTU encourages you towork toward the passage of S. 1501 and H.R. 2796, whichwould ensure that the Committee’s work is conducted in a transparent andaccessible manner. These bills, introduced by Sen. Heller (R-NV) and Rep.Buchanan (R-FL) respectively, would require that all meetings, except thoseinvolving confidential information, in which a quorum of the Committee membersare present, are open to the public and made available for television coverage.
NTU would also encourage Congress to pursuefurther measures to provide the transparency that the Committee’s work meritsand that taxpayers deserve. Specifically, NTU believes that meetings betweenCommittee members and lobbyists should be posted online, that financialdisclosures of Committee members should be made available online, and thatfinal legislative language should be posted at least 72 hours prior to thefinal Committee vote.
Openness and accountability in thelegislative process is not an issue of politics, but of a fundamental belief ingood governance. The issues with which the Select Committee on DeficitReduction will be dealing have the potential to affect far too many lives andwallets to be handled behind closed doors. For that reason we encourage you tosupport S. 1501 and H.R. 2796 as well as other steps toward making theCommittee as transparent as possible.
Sincerely,
Brandon GreifeFederalGovernment Affairs Manager