The record says that the stimulus package recently passed by Congress was drawn up by a conference committee — a bipartisan group of House members and Senators who sat down together to wrangle over its fine print. Really, though, the conference committee was more for show than for actual debate.

Conference committees are supposed to meet when House legislation differs from the version passed in the Senate. They're where lawmakers deliberate face to face and learn to bargain, accommodate one another's needs, try different approaches, and search for consensus. But they've been largely killed off over the last 15 years by leaders in both parties more interested in convenience and power.

This is too bad, because debate and deliberation are being lost. So are the unique approaches of each chamber, and basic principles of fairness. This is why ordinary members of Congress are pressing for a return to "the regular order" of conference committees — and why I hope leaders on Capitol Hill listen to them.

Lee Hamilton is director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.