Buchanan Pushes To Open Health Care Talks To Public

Buchanan To Force House Vote On Sunshine Resolution

Announces He Will File Discharge Petition To Open Health Care Talks To Public

Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-13), sponsor of the Sunshine Resolution requiring public access to negotiations on the health care bill, announced today that he will file a discharge petition Wednesday to force a House vote on his proposal.
In Florida we have one of the strongest right-to-know laws aimed at ensuring that government leaders conduct the peoples business in public, said Buchanan. No private meeting, no backroom deals, no secrecy. Its time to shine some Florida Sunshine on the Halls of Congress.
Back-room deals are being made to create a massive new entitlement program that seeks to overhaul a sixth of our countrys entire economy. Buchanans resolution demands that meetings to discuss the final details of the health care reform bill be conducted in the open under the watchful eye of the American people.

Health care reform is one of the largest public policy reforms taken up by Congress in generations, added Buchanan. If enacted, the final bill will impact the lives of all Americans. With so much at stake, any conference committee or meetings held to determine the content of sweeping national health care legislation should be held in full public view, not behind closed doors.

Buchanan will file the discharge petition tomorrow with House Minority Leader John Boehner to bring H. Res. 847 to the House floor for a vote.

Legislation as critical as the Democrats health care bill - with its Medicare cuts and tax hikes - shouldnt be slapped together in a backroom deal, said Boehner. Rep. Vern Buchanans resolution requiring the negotiations be public is the right thing to do.
Buchanans resolution was introduced in October of 2009 and is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of more than 150 lawmakers.
Once a majority of the House, 218 Members, has signed the discharge petition, it is placed on the House calendar over the objections of the House Speaker and Majority Leader. Sweeping campaign finance reform legislation was the last bill to be brought to the House floor through a discharge petition. The measure was then passed by the House and signed into law.

Category:

News & Politics

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• Congressman Vern Buchanan
• Vern Buchanan
• Republican
• Congress
• Health Care
• Transparency
• Negotiations
• Pelosi
• Reid
• Obama
• Health Care Reform

[abanaki94]

Rats and roaches tend to scurry in the light. Let's light up Washington politics, and see which politicians and lobbyists scatter. I'm with you... let the sun shine in.

[SirDivster]

Obama is as crooked as they come.He is relentless and should be impeached this year.

[pathmay]

Yes- Please- Don't give up on Health Care reform- but lets not let the back room politics - add all kinds of unnecesary extras that cost millions -in secret.

[Bonesquire]

Congressman Buchanan,

Keep up the good work on the Sunshine bill. President Obama said during his campaign that he would be open and have the issue of health care on C-Span. He is not doing what he said he would. He and the Democratic leaders can not be trusted.

[groberts56]

This health care bill is important to all of us, regardless of age. I personally have no idea what is being proposed, so how can I be ecpected to know if I should support it or not. I'm all for sunshine.

[yourdime10]

Put big teeth in that bill that will bite them when they continue to violate it! Go Vern!

We then need term limits for the houses and desperately need to enforce the separation of powers. The only show in DC is the Obama show.

[LaszloSzechenyi]

I'm with you on this one Vern. You and all your co-members of Congress have been elected to carry out the will of those who have elected you. This can not and must not be done behind closed doors.

Making deals with taxpayers' money is not only dishonest but downright fraudulent. Those who do it must lose their jobs. And they will!

[Flap999]

Keep pushing Vern...you're doing the right thing here. These thugs must be brought to task on this behavior.