Can The United States Pass A Law That Is Completely or Partially Classified?

[ThomWV]

I turned on C-Span's Washington Journal this morning after it began. As the TV came on a young fellow who Gretta was interviewing was just finishing up a sentence which ended with him saying that portions of the bill were classified and portions were not. They then went on to discuss facilities in which classified matters were discussed, but that was a separate matter.

How on earth can you have a bill (law) that is completely or partially classified? I don't think it is possible. First; it seems implausible that a person could be held to account for doing something that it would have been illegal for them to find out was illegal, and second; that it is the executive agencies that have the power to classify and so it is not within the purview of Congress to produce a classified document - ain't their job so they can't do it.

Imagine that to run a red light was an illegal activity but that it was a state secrete that you could not run a red light. Not only that but it was against the law for you to attempt to learn that there was a law against running red lights. In fact you could be jailed for having a copy of the law that said it was illegal to run red lights. Still, you could be arrested for running red lights.

So what's going on here? Are we now passing laws in secrete?

[Bitwit1234]

1. I read somewhere about that.

They said that some parts of the bill ARE classified. That someone with a clearance reads the classified part and explains what they can to congress. And that a lot of congress members don't read the explanation and vote on only the parts unclassified. I think I got it correct. I just can't remember where I read it. I did find it curious at the time and I think I posted something here about how could congress know what they were voting on.

[Toots]

2. Bills and Laws are not the same thing

There are funding bills and organizational bills and bills for achievement and none are Laws. Laws can not be classified. The people must be informed upon what the Laws of the land are but spending bills are quite often classified. The people don't need to know how much of their money goes to killing people..

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Not quite true

The bill itself is a matter of public record, no different than any other bill. However, certain categories of spending can be "black boxed," ie grouped together with a Classified label insead of a description. That X amount of money is being budgeted for a classified reason is still public information.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. No

By definition, all laws are a matter of public record. Enforcement of a law requires that all people affected by it know that it exists. Enforcement of secret laws is one of the key reasons why the colonies revolted.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Secret Documents

may have paragraphs which are unclassified but the entire document is classified at the highest level of any classified paragraph. Each paragraph is clearly marked at the beginning with its classification

(S) - Secret
(C) - Confidential
(U) - Unclassified

I'm using my Navy experience with this explanation. I'm not sure if governmental entities do it differently but can't imagine why they would.

[FormerDittoHead]

6. Even worse: "Double Secret Probation" n/t