Flouting the transparency and accountability they promised the American people, members of the House and Senate Democrat leadership have been meeting behind closed doors on Capitol Hill to hash out the final version of their government takeover of health care. During an interview today on Fox Business, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), Senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, highlighted how congressional Democrats and the White House have continued to abandon President Obama’s promise to hold health care negotiations in public.
C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb recently sent a letter to Republican and Democrat congressional leadership requesting permission to have C-SPAN cameras present for the final negotiations between the House and Senate health care bills. To date, Democrats in charge have not honored that request, with meetings held behind closed doors even today in the U.S. Capitol and at the White House. Rep. Kline joined fellow senior Republican members of the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees in a letterwritten today to Speaker Pelosi requesting that all future negotiations on health care legislation be done openly and with the highest regard for transparency:
"House Republicans support bringing sunlight to the legislative process and allowing Americans to better understand the decisions that are being made that will directly impact their well-being. We couldn’t agree more with President Obama when he called for a transparent negotiation process on health care reform legislation. Specifically, as a candidate for President, he said, 'That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are.' We believe that this pledge should be upheld. That’s why House Republicans have introduced a resolution that demands that these critical health care negotiations be conducted in the open. We urge you to keep the President’s promise."
