Private citizens should be allowed to address the floor of the US House

[bluestateguy]

Every day Members of the US House are allowed to make Special Orders speeches on the floor of that body on any subject they wish. The chamber is usually nearly empty during these speeches, but the C-Span cameras usually cover the speeches, and the speeches are written into the Congressional Record, allowing a Representative to formally record his or her opinion on a particular issue.

Why not extend the same right to private citizens? Why not set aside a time, say once a week, for private citizens to make Special Orders speeches on the floor of the House, the PEOPLE'S HOUSE, so that their feelings may be heard by their elected representatives, broadcast on C-SPAN and entered into the Congressional Record.

This is not a perfect plan, and there would be many side issues to hash out, such as, how to limit the influence of slick lobbyists and special interest trolls from co-opting the whole concept, but this idea could help to reduce the distance that many people feel between themselves and their government.

[LoZoccolo]

1. I can see it now.

"C-SPAN: All orbital mind-control lasers...all the time."

[La_Serpiente]

2. I wish that were true

sometimes, I find myself yelling at the TV while they are speaking on the floor of the house. However, that right is reserved for people who have been elected to serve their districts.

[tlb]

3. Fine, 280 million speakers during Special Orders.

Alphabetical order perhaps ?

[arewethereyet]

4. no. no they shouldn't

thats why you elect representatives.

[shance]

5. Dont listen to the naysayers. I think its a wonderful idea.

All success is built from creative thinking and that is some good thinking at work.

I dont know if you are a writer, but if you are inclined, write an article about it and submit it, or even write it in letter form to newspapers and to our Congressmen and women. You could even start a group on interested individuals.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from other active individuals is that we dont feel as though we are being heard, or that our voice matters as much as it should and it could.

I think part of the reason is because Congress is locked up in session all day and is influenced by lobbyists and Special interests who have direct access to our leaders. In many respects it is not all their fault that they dont hear us as well as they might. This could be a great way to influence our leaders and even build stronger ties with them by actually having some time with them in D.C.

Keep up the creative thinking!

[jsw_81]

6. No way

I can just see freeper after freeper going before the cameras to whine about libruls, homosexshurals, and guns. No thanks, we have enough of that already.

[bluestateguy]

7. As should be their right

and they will complain about our people taking to the floor to denounce their frat boy president, religo nuts and corporations. It's called a free and open exchange of ideas.

[jsw_81]

8. Maybe

But I think it would just turn into a complete circus. And isn't Congress bad enough already?

[MercutioATC]

9. We have that...it's called Public Access TV...

NOT C-SPAN!!

Want to speak your mind? Great! Do it on Public Access (actually, more people probably watch Public Access than C-SPAN anyway). Congress is simply not set up to handle radnom people wandering in by the thousands to blow off steam.

[Bombtrack]

10. To bad for that thing called the constitution? huh

I don't mean any malice towards you, but you need to either ammend the body law of our country or respect it.

[jsw_81]

11. What are you talking about?

Are you under the impression that the Constitution guarantees every single citizen the right to speak on the House/Senate floor?

[Bombtrack]

12. No, just the opposite

I'm saying that people don't have that right

[jsw_81]

13. Sorry

I though you were replying to someone else. Silly me.

[ramapo]

14. You must've watched Legally Blonde Red White & Blue

Elle Wood, the heroine, addressed a joint session of Congress. It was said to be slightly unorthodox.