Senator Cantwell and the Senate Democrats won't let you see the bill - update

The Democrats on the Senate committee today blocked an amendment that would require the full language of the final health-care takeover bill be available for reading for 72 hours before the vote.

“Let’s be honest about it, most people don’t read the legislative language," said Senator Kerry. (Did you know he served in Viet Nam?) Politico.com

So making it available long enough for anyone to read it would cause an unnecessary delay, they claim. And besides SOME people will read it in 72 hours.

Kerry and our Washington Senator Cantwell don't want us to know what will be in it. All the Democrats, except Blanche Lincoln, voted against this common-sense amendment and Senator Cantwell is on the Finance Committee, so she must have voted against it.

The issue is the final bill language in its legislative legalese. It is now in plain English, but will be converted. The Demos say the current version should be good enough. But the process of converting it into illegible legislative language will certainly induce differences. The final language is what would be law for decades to come. So we have to be able to see it.

To me it is legislative malpractice to prevent a major bill from being read.

Michelle Malkin has more.
Update: Human Events has the list and distinguished Senator Cantwell voted to oppose letting you see the bill. HE says that with the mark-up session the "plain English" bill is now its original 200 pages plus added pages, markings and Post It notes attached.