Martha's Blog
End the Secret Negotiations, We Deserve Transparency“There has never been a more open process for any legislation. We will do what is necessary to pass the bill.” The health care bill that was rammed through the Senate by the skin of its teeth is far from what passed the House in November. Typically, when this happens, a conference committee irons out the differences between the two versions. The conference committee includes members of both parties from both houses and is open to the public and the media. This is a process that occurs all the time. With the health care bill, the Democrats have decided to forego cooperative methods of working out the differences. Instead, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid have decided to use closed-door, Democrats-only meetings to create a bill that will be presented to both houses of Congress for approval. They’ve even gone so far as to ban C-SPAN’s cameras from these secret negotiations. What are they trying to hide? I think it’s a reasonable expectation for the media to be allowed cover deliberations over crucial components of the health care legislation that affect hard-working Americans, just as they do other bills being considered before Congress. That is why our founding fathers wrote the First Amendment. I join other Republican leaders in demanding an inclusive, open, and responsible deliberation. We shouldn’t be surprised by the Democrats’ actions. Shady deals cut behind closed doors have been the trademark of the Pelosi/Reid regime, as have bad bills that have been rammed through Congress with no respect given to the long-standing traditions of the Congress or to the effects their bad legislation will have on American families and small businesses. We must hold our representatives—and their leadership—accountable not only for the legislation they pass, but for the methods they use to pass it. We deserve transparency and openness from our representatives in Washington. Let’s put an end to the secret negotiations. There is a better way. |
