For years -- probably generations -- there has been a growing problem of hiding new special "favors", or sometimes highly controversial new policies, in the middle of otherwise uncontroversial new bills and laws. Increasingly though, these often have really nothing to do with the original law. Senators and representatives, lobbyists and special interest groups, often hope that nobody will read the law, and if they hide their special cause somewhere deep in the middle of the huge novel-sized bill, it will go unnoticed until it is passed. 

Last year, with the one of the three Covid stimulus bills, which hardly any congressperson would have dreamed of opposing, somebody snuck in a stipulation that required the entire U.S. military to report on UFOs and extraterrestrial life to Congress within six months. This report has come out recently in the last few weeks, and while it is entertaining and amusing that this happened, this clearly makes such a joke of Congress as an institution. Perhaps we can have a debate about whether this should have been done -- many Americans may be glad at the increased transparency from our military. But this was such a bizarre, and frankly inappropriate way of accomplishing that goal. 

Another example is the new Infrastructure bill which Congress is looking to pass this week, perhaps even today. It is widely lauded as a "bipartisan" bill that is predicted to easily pass. But this Infrastructure bill has a requirement in it that within two years, all new automobiles built and sold in the U.S. will come equipped with a breathalyzer and alcohol-detection technology in the vehicle. This is, of course, a technology which is already frequently provided, via court order, for persons convicted of drunk driving, and that in itself is certainly not controversial among many people. However, requiring this to be implemented on all innocent drivers with clean driving records is a policy which surely would be so extremely controversial if there was an open and honest debate. Many people would feel this was government overreach or a form of "guilty until proven innocent". Now, perhaps some people signing this petition will even think this is a good idea that they would support. However, this is so clearly not an appropriate avenue for implementing this policy -- by hiding it in the middle of this Infrastructure bill. 

If these crazy, controversial ideas can pass Congress completely unnoticed, what is next?  "Democracy Dies in Darkness" as the saying goes. We really, really need Congress to start reading laws before they vote on them, and we need Congress members who will stand up and oppose any part of the bill which is frivolous and not related to the actual purpose of the bill --especially when it is hidden in an obscure paragraph, 1,500 pages deep in the bill.