Democrat Speed Reading: 3,417 Pages, 46 Hours and 8 Minutes
12/19/2007 - 01:58:01 PM
Last night, Democrat Whip Dick Durbin (Illinois) insisted that every senator had ample time to read the 3,417-page omnibus spending bill.
From the Senate floor Durbin declared: “For 46 hours and 8 minutes -- the Senator from South Carolina has had an opportunity to go to the Internet and see this bill in its entirety, with his staff, and to read every page… Please, do not come to the floor and suggest that this is a mystery bill which no one has seen. For two days, this has been posted on the Internet. You have had your chance. Every Senator has had a chance."
According to Sen. Durbin’s math: Every senator had 2,768 minutes to read 3,417 pages of legislative text that included next year’s spending for every domestic program of the entire federal government and many new policy changes.
According to Sen. Durbin’s math: A senator that downloaded the bill when it was posted at 12:15 a.m. Monday morning would have had to:
Read nearly 1 ¼ pages of the bill every minute for 46 hours and 8 minutes,
Not sleep,
Not eat,
Take no bathroom breaks.
According to Sen. Durbin’s math: A representative of the U.S. House, who voted on the omnibus at 10:21 p.m. on Monday night, would have had to read more than twice as fast as a senator, having only 1,327 minutes to read 3,417 pages. A U.S. representative would have had to:
Read over 2 ½ pages of the bill every minute for 22 hours and 7 minutes,
Not sleep,
Not eat,
Take no bathroom breaks.
As Sen. Durbin said: “Welcome to the world of the Internet… You have had your chance.”
TRANSCRIPT of Senate Floor 12/18/07
Mr. DeMINT. We like to say we are the world's greatest deliberative body. I have to ask my colleagues tonight, on the largest bill we have ever considered, the most expensive bill we have ever considered, what deliberation? We don't even know what is in this bill. We haven't had any real debate. We are going to try to cut it off in an hour or so. This is a couple of times bigger than the Bible. It is bigger than Webster's Dictionary. It has some of the most important provisions to direct our country over the next year that we could possibly consider. We don't even have a desk copy… To bring this much spending and this many provisions, 3,400 pages plus in 24 hours, and ask us to vote on it is irresponsible.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, for 46 hours and 8 minutes--for 46 hours and 8 minutes--the Senator from South Carolina has had an opportunity to go to the Internet and see this bill in its entirety, with his staff, and to read every page--46 hours and 8 minutes. For this Senator to suggest on the floor that we are sneaking this bill in, that people have not had a chance to see it, I would just say to the Senator from South Carolina: Welcome to the world of the Internet. This bill has been posted since 12:15 a.m. Monday morning on the Internet for your perusal. That is early to get up, I understand. It is an early time to be reading the bill. But, please, do not come to the floor and suggest that this is a mystery bill which no one has seen. For 2 days, this has been posted on the Internet . You have had your chance. Every Senator has had a chance.
Mr. DeMINT. Has the Senator read the bill? Have you read the bill?
