Rep. Todd Akin (MO) published a piece today in The Daily Caller. Please see the following excerpt:
Americans are fed up with the backroom deals, abuses of power, disregard for the Constitution, and lack of transparency in many bills that have become law this Congress. Open government that is transparent and participatory is the best way to ensure that officials in Washington effectively represent the will of the people and do not overstep their constitutional authority.
The 111th Congress commenced with Democrats in control of both houses of Congress and the White House. Though some have dismissed the Republican Party after such a defeat, I believe the majority of Americans still believe in conservative principles. I have introduced two pieces of legislation that I believe will open the way for a more open, transparent, and responsible government. On February 4, 2010, I introduced H. Res. 1071, legislation changing the rules of the House of Representatives to require a three-fifths super majority to increase the federal debt limit. Congress and President Obama have spent taxpayer dollars recklessly; in part because they know they can easily increase the debt limit. In fact, Congress has increased the debt limit three times in this year by roughly $3 trillion total. Most Americans know that when you overspend, you cannot get yourself out of financial trouble by repeatedly increasing the limit on your credit card. Unfortunately, the administration and Democrats in Congress think it is better to consistently increase our credit limit instead of making tough financial decisions.