'Trust Me,' Says Boehner. He's Aware of What's In 1,648-Page Bill He ‘Almost’ Read

(CNSNews.com) - House Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio), whose party won a majority in the House four years ago after pledging to Americans that a Republican Congress would give them “at least three days” to read all bills before they were voted on, said today that he had “been through almost every part” of the 1,648-page National Defense Authorization Act that the House plans to vote on this afternoon.

The full, final text of that bill was posted online by the House at 10:32 p.m. Tuesday night.

CNSNews.com asked Boehner: “The Defense Authorization bill, which is posted online, it is 1,648 pages. Have you read that bill?”

Boehner responded: “I’ve been through almost every part of that bill, as it was being put together. So, trust me, I am well aware of what’s in that bill.”

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D.-Md.), by contrast, told CNSNews.com in a taped interview he did not read the 1,648-page bill.

During the 2010 elections, the House Republicans published a document called a “Pledge to America.” It contained a section titled, “Read the Bill,” which said: “We will ensure that bills are debated and discussed in the public square by publishing the text online for at least three days before coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives. No more hiding legislative language from the minority party, opponents, and the public. Legislation should be understood by all interested parties before it is voted on.”

The text of the 1,648-page National Defense Authorization Act published at 10:32 p.m. on Tuesday, includes a section establishing a federal commission with the mandate to come up with a legislative plan for a National Museum of Women’s History, and, as reported by the Washington Post, creates new national parks.

“Tucked inside the bill's more than 1,600 pages is language creating six national parks,” said the Post.