I write to urge you to sponsor the "Read the Bills Act," a draft of which was
sent to your office earlier this week by DownsizeDC.  The Read the Bills Act
would implement a simple and straightforward requirement that all bills
considered in Congress be available with adequate time to be read by members
of Congress and by members of the public.  Had this requirement been in force
in fall 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act in its final form would not have been able to
be passed.  The USA PATRIOT Act is only the most glaring example of the public
harm that can be wrought when legislative decisions are taken hastily.