GOP to File Discharge Petition to Broadcast Health Care Talks
Roll Call Staff
House Republicans will file a discharge petition Wednesday to try to force a vote on a bipartisan resolution that calls on Congressional leaders to publicly broadcast the final health care negotiations.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) will file the petition for his nonbinding resolution, which calls for “any conference committee or other meetings held to determine the final content of sweeping national health care legislation be held in full public view and not behind closed doors.” The measure has 151 co-sponsors, including three Democrats: Reps. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Gene Taylor (Miss.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.).
GOP leaders will “definitely” be touting the effort at a Wednesday morning stakeout with reporters, a senior Republican aide said.
The resolution bashes Democratic leaders over “a disturbing pattern of House leadership skirting open access by allowing small groups of conference committee members to meet privately.” The push for open negotiations comes after C-SPAN asked to broadcast the final health care negotiations live and in their entirety. Democratic leaders have demurred.
“In Florida, we have one of the strongest, right-to-know laws aimed at ensuring that government leaders conduct the people’s business in public,” Buchanan said in a statement. “No private meeting, no backroom deals, no secrecy. It’s time to shine some Florida sunshine on the halls of Congress.”
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