> The US calls itself a republic. We elect representatives who are empowered to make decisions like this one for us.

In that case, why bother publishing the text of bills online for people to read before they’re laws? Why preserve Congressional debate in the Library of Congress? Why make Congressional debate public at all?

If we let them, the government will classify everything as “national security”. Today, it’s domestic surveillance programs (some of which were illegal). Tomorrow, it’s economic numbers or police statistics.