Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) sheds light on those who block votes in the dark

Big kudo's to Ron for working to create an OPEN government where folks are simply held accountable for their actions.

:applause:


8/13/07
The Oregonian
JEFF KOSSEFF

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden soon may settle an old grudge.

When Wyden was in the U.S. House in the early 1990s, he passed a sweeping bill to expand health care for low-income Americans.

But the bill stalled in the Senate, blocked anonymously by a "secret hold." The tactic allows one senator to block a bill from receiving a vote.

Wyden, D-Ore., recalls "traipsing over to the Senate," trying to identify the senator. He couldn't, but he got the Senate to pass the bill. And he vowed to stop secret holds.


full story here:

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1186973762249160.xml&coll=7

It seems tailor-made for them.

I'm glad Ron's doing something about it--the fact that he wants to hold politicians responsible for their votes says a lot about the difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Wyden also voted for the Medicare scam....

While it's nice to see him sort of doing the right thing- pardon me if I don't forget:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Conference Report (H.R. 1 Conference Report )
Vote Number: 459 Vote Date: November 25, 2003, 09:23 AM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Conference Report Agreed to
Measure Number: H.R. 1
Measure Title: An act to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the medicare program and to strengthen and improve the medicare program, and for other purposes.

Wyden (D-OR), Yea

http://156.33.195.33/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00459