WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee voted 24-17 on Tuesday to advance a 900-page bill that members acknowledged they had not read, saying the schedule did not permit it.
The text was distributed at 9:49 a.m. The markup began at 10 a.m.
“I would love to have read it,” said Rep. Diane Sorenson of Oregon, who voted yes. “But we have a responsibility to move this quickly, and reading it is not consistent with moving it quickly.”
Committee staff said a summary of the bill was available, and that the summary was three pages long and had also not been read.
The bill now goes to the full House, where leadership has promised a 24-hour review period before the vote. Asked whether 24 hours was enough for 900 pages, a spokesperson said the review period had been “carefully calibrated.”
