Gellman on Thomas "not a tool for reforming Congress"

[James Love <love@tap.org>]

Ever wonder why the democrats didn't do a better job about 
online access to government information when they ran the 
Congress?  Here is an excerpt from a recent article by Bob 
Gellman.  For more than a decade Bob was the key democratic 
staffer for the House Subcommittee on Government 
Information.  Jamie Love(love@tap.org)

    Excerpts from: "Thomas is not a tool for reforming 
    Congress," by Robert Gellman (rgellman@cais.com), in 
    Government Computer News, April 1, 1996

Thomas users must have reasonable expectations.  Thomas is 
not a tool for reforming the way that Congress operates.  
Some complained that the so-called "chairman's marks" are 
not available on Thomas.  When a committee marks up a bill,
the chairman may offer an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.  This is the chairman's mark, but it is just an 
amendment.. . 

Critics have argued that these amendments are available to 
lobbyists not on Thomas.  Tough.  Congressional rules do not 
require advance disclosure to the committee, other members 
or the public.   . . .

Does this give the insiders an advantage?  Welcome to the 
real world.  . .

Net activists want to make the Net a central feature of the 
legislative process to increase their own political 
influence.  They want to sit terminals, be spoon-fed 
legislative data and change the world by sending e-mail 
messages to Capitol Hill.   This is not going to happen any 
time soon.  Having an Internet account does not entitled you 
to a vote on the floor of the House. . .

Don't take any of the glowing electronic democracy oratory 
too seriously.  Net users just make up another special 
interest.  . . .



The full article is copyrighted, but maybe you can get it 
from Robert Gellman (rgellman@cais.com).




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James Love / love@tap.org / P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
Voice: 202/387-8030; Fax 202/234-5176
Center for Study of Responsive Law
   Consumer Project on Technology; http://www.essential.org/cpt
   Taxpayer Assets Project; http://www.tap.org
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