What's In a Name?

Are bill "names" ever truly honest about what they contain or how they'll impact Americans?
In my opinion, probably not.  The name assigned to a bill can have a huge effect on how the bill is perceived.  Bill names tend to be either outright deceptive, or simply vague and non-committal.  If they were named for what they really contained, instead of the "Sunshine and Puppies Act of 2011" we might not be crumbling under the mountains of legislation our government seems to feel obligated to impose every year. 


Here are a few recent examples.
1) Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) - Commonly known as "ObamaCare" 

Who would vote against protecting patients and making medicine affordable?  It really should be titled "The Government Knows Best How to Take Care of Your Health Act."  Nevermind that the bill is simply a 2000 page stomping on inidividual American freedoms and responsibilities. It also ignores the fact that none of the other public health care experiments (UK and Canada) have been remotely successful in  protecting patients, making care affordable or more accessible.  In fact, things have gotten worse.  But, "Patient Protection and Affordable Care" sounds so awesome right?


2) H.R.847 - James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 - aka The 9-11 First Responders Bill
Maybe this wasn't a major bill, but I think it still makes my point.  This bill committed federal money to take care of I victims associated with the 2001 terrorist attack, adding to the large stack of entitlements that already contribute to the ridiculous national debt.  I think the place for taking care of 9/11 First Responders is a job for private charity.  
Here is my argument against the bill:

There are few Americans that don’t have a place in their hearts for the 9/11 First Responders. Every single American was affected that day and most would have been there on the ground trying to help if they could have been. However, it is not reasonable to expect the government to foot the bill for every tragedy. How about appealing to the American people directly and asking for donations to such a worthy cause? I believe Americans would give generously when they don’t have more money taken forcibly from their paycheck. Just like the Wounded Warrior Project and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation support veterans of the current wars and their families, there should be a non-profit set up to take care of 9/11 First Responders, if there isn’t one already. We can’t expect the Federal Government to add another burden to taxpayers when private organizations can do a much better job serving those in need.

My point is, the content of the bill, regardless of it's flashy or ambiguous name is supremely important.  Congress and the American people need to know what is inside the bill in fine print, not the large font title on the front.

Keep track for yourself and confront your Congressmen about the content of what they're voting for.  Don't let the November turnover in congress be for nothing.  

Stay informed. Check out non-profit OpenCongress.org.