Finacial Reform Goes to Conference

It's a bit wonkish to talk about Washington legislative procedure, as in the House/Senate conference committee coming up to reconcile the differences in their separate bills pass on financial reform. But, a lot can happen behind the closed doors in conference committees, bad or good, so we need to keep the pressure on. Let them know we common people are paying attention.

The details of last week's Senate process found the newly elected Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown feeling the pressure. Some of that pressure is said to have come from Obama's grassroots arm, Organizing for America... and both sides are counting on grassroots pressure to play a role in House/Senate conference committee to craft the final bill.

Some Republicans are calling for the conference committee to be televised. House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank has picked up on this desire for transparency saying

"We will have a conference, I think, that will work well. It will be conducted, the formal parts, in public" ... "That means that no agreements reached, no compromises, which obviously are being discussed, will be made part of anything without being publicly presented and voted on and discussed."

Regardless of whether the conference committee on financial reform is televised, our voices need to be heard.

For Your Convenience:

• Contact the Broadcast Media
• Contact the Newspapers
• Contact the US Senate
• Contact the House of Representatives

Sources:

Chris Good, The Atlantic Magazine blog, Financial Reform Gets Closer ... Much Closer, Thanks to Scott Brown, May 20, 2010.