The belief in Washington D.C. recently seems to be more of the theory that "father knows best" and that the business of running this country is better done behind closed doors without pesky opponents or voters butting in. Senator Hatch recently introduced another in his line of proposed bills that blatantly support draconian measures in favor of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) without regard for public opinion or existing laws. In The Hill, Manuel Miranda stated "No Republican senator has sponsored more laws later held unconstitutional than Hatch." Now Hatch is holding closed door sessions to discuss his new proposal in secret while excluding major industry groups from the debate.
The PATRIOT Act is another clandestine bill on Capitol Hill. The massive bill was delivered to those who voted on it only hours before being passed. Obviously, very few, if any, of the elected officials who voted for it actually read its contents first. The PATRIOT Act has been slammed repeatedly since being passed for stripping many of the basic civil liberties we take for granted as American citizens without providing any benefit in terms of superior national security. In October of 2003 Senator Leahy introduced a bill to try and undo some of the damage from the PATRIOT Act by providing government oversight on its functions rather than simply allowing the judicial branch to have carte blanche to spy on American citizens. Many of the clauses of the PATRIOT Act are set to expire in 2005, but behind closed doors supporters are fighting to extend or remove those sunset clauses. An article on commondreams.org points out that "A debate down party lines is common in Washington, but a fight that draws conservatives, liberals, gun owners and civil rights groups is much more rare." And, that is what we have now- a diverse group of opponents who are all concerned about the removal of civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism while not actually providing any greater security.
It is important for citizens to stay informed about these closed-door, clandestine proposals and deals made in the shadows. People need to at the very least know what their elected officials are doing, and preferably make their voices be heard and force those elected officials to allow for an open, public debate on the issues. That is what made this country strong in the first place.