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Health Care Negotiations Should be Public

January 18, 2010
Weekly Columns

Time and again, Americans have made it absolutely clear that we don’t want a government takeover of health care. And, time and again, President Obama and Congressional Democrats have ignored our wishes and pressed ahead with their unpopular plans.

Now the process has reached a new low. Rather than follow normal procedure, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have taken the unusual step of skirting around the traditional conference committee. Instead of crafting their final version of government-run health care through an open process, President Obama and the Democrat leadership have decided to hold closed-door negotiations. Not only are no Republicans allowed to participate, now President Obama is saying "no cameras allowed."

The American people have good cause to be uneasy about this turn of events. The versions of the health care bill previously passed by the House and Senate would add more than $1 trillion to our already staggering national debt. New mandates being considered would restrict health care choices, increase insurance costs, tax small businesses and cut the Medicare benefits on which senior citizens depend. It’s no wonder President Obama and his liberal allies want to negotiate the final bill in secret.

Through town hall meetings, Tea Party protests and in countless calls and letters to their representatives, the American people have participated strongly and forcefully in the health care debate. By exercising the rights guaranteed under our Constitution, citizens have expressed their disapproval and have made a dramatic impact.

This vigorous participation of citizens in the legislative process demonstrates our democratic traditions at their best. In contrast, Democrats' insistence on secret negotiations is politics at its worst. Such a lack of transparency is not the democracy our founding fathers fought to secure.

The fact that the Democrat leadership and the Obama White House have decided to negotiate the final version of health care reform without a formal conference committee and with no Republican participation is bad enough. But to do so behind closed doors and without the slightest trace of transparency is unconscionable. The American people are deeply concerned about a government takeover of their health care system, but instead of listening to their concerns, the Democrats are effectively slamming the door in their face.

House Republicans, on the other hand, are fighting to bring the final health care negotiations into the light of day. To that end, I have cosponsored a resolution to require any conference committee or other meetings regarding the content of national health care legislation to be held in public. This bill, House Resolution 847, would force President Obama to honor his campaign pledges to bring everyone to the table, to include Republican ideas, and to broadcast negotiations on television for every American to see. I'm calling on President Obama to honor his promise to the American people. Mr. President, let the cameras in.

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