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GOP Leader: "Too much is at stake for American families and the future of health care in America to have these talks continue behind closed doors."
Contact: Michael Steel, Antonia Ferrier, Kevin Smith, 202-225-4000
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /Standard Newswire/ -- House Republicans today are stepping up efforts to make health care negotiations public by attempting to force a floor vote on the issue. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is filing a discharge petition which, if signed by 218 Representatives, would force a vote on his bipartisan resolution (H. Res. 847) requiring that health care reform negotiations be public and open to the media.
On several occasions during the last presidential campaign, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) pledged that health care reform negotiations would be broadcast on C-SPAN so the "American people will know what's going on." Last week, C-SPAN called on congressional leaders to carry out President Obama's "C-SPAN pledge."
House Republican Leader John Boehner, who strongly endorsed C-SPAN's request and will sign Rep. Buchanan's discharge petition, said today, "Too much is at stake for American families and the future of health care in America to have these talks continue behind closed doors. These secret deliberations are a breeding ground for sweetheart deals and legislative landmines that end up not being discovered until it's too late. This discharge petition is our best shot to make these health care negotiations public, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in signing it."
Rep. Buchanan's bipartisan resolution, which has more than 150 co-sponsors, is part of a transparency initiative Republicans introduced in November to make Congress more open and accountable to the people it serves. The initiative first gained steam as part of a bipartisan "read the bill" effort to require a mandatory 72-hour review period for all legislation before it is brought to the House floor for a vote.
"Congressman Buchanan should be commended for his leadership on this critical issue and his commitment to open government," Boehner added. "Republicans will continue to insist on transparency so that every piece of legislation, no matter how big or small, is subject to the maximum amount of public scrutiny."
