Ted Poe: “Americans nationwide are interested in watching the Supreme Court at work, but only a handful on any given day are…”

“Americans nationwide are interested in watching the Supreme Court at work, but only a handful on any given day are allowed to have access to the courtroom. The courtroom is small and seating is limited. Well, why not give the public the ability to view the proceedings in their entirety on television or through live streaming? Public court hearings are the bedrock of American justice. Americans want to know what is going on behind those closed doors. A simple nonintrusive camera would allow for greater transparency and greater faith in the decisions made by the most powerful Court in the world. I was one of the first judges in Texas to allow cameras in the courtroom. All the naysayers said: oh, it won't work. But it did. It benefited everyone. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and I are once again cosponsoring a bill to allow cameras in the Supreme Court. It is better to show all of the proceedings to the public than to rely on a 30- second sound bite from a news reporter on television during the 6:00 news. It is time for cameras in the Supreme Court. And that is just the way it is. ____________________”