Legislators seem almost prideful, declaring normal people can't possibly understand the new healthcare law so there's no value reading the legislation before they vote on it. This isn't a condescending comment about releasing the bill to the public prior to a vote or a defense against a transparent legislature. This is a direct defense for why legislators won't bother reading the bill before they vote.

"I don't expect to actually read the legislative language, because reading the legislative language is among the more confusing things that I've ever read in my life."
-- CATO

So, this begs a question. If the language of the bill is too complex for anyone who actually writes law to read and understand, then how can we expect law enforcement, let alone mere citizens to understand the code?

Answer: they don't.