Brentwood Republican Marsha Blackburn has filed bills calling for across-the-board spending cuts each year since she took her place in the House of Representatives in 2003. And every year, they’ve languished without any Congressional action.
Now she’s turning to the internet, in hopes that support there will help her convince other members of Congress to pay attention to her cost-cutting measure.
Blackburn has posted a video of herself on a website called “America Speaking Out.” In it, she explains her bills in broad terms, then asks for help from her viewers. If enough House members sign a petition, Blackburn says she can force a vote on the proposal.
“Your support over the next month will help me convince my colleagues to sign on and push for an important, comprehensive spending cut.”
Next to the video is a button people can click to go to a page where they can either comment on her proposal or just vote “yes” or “no.”
The website was created by House Republicans as a way of soliciting opinions from voters. For the most part, it consists of message boards where users submit their own ideas for discussion.
Blackburn says the petition to force a vote needs 217 signatures. That would take every Republican in the House, plus 39 others.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM