In congressional debates on major legislation, dire predictions about the adverse impact of the bill are often made with great certainty by opponents of the legislation. Similarly, bold claims about what the legislation will accomplish can be made by proponents. These statements can influence both congressional votes and public opinion. In the years after enactment, however, it is rare to look back to those statements and assess their accuracy.
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Co-Equal believes retrospective analyses of legislative debate can be useful both for evaluating the specific law and for revealing patterns in how Congress works. They are also a reminder that some of the nation's landmark laws had to overcome hyperbolic distortions about their effects, while other legislation has been passed with false assurances about its consequences.