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October 7, 2009

Democrats Push Reid to Let Public Read Health Care Bill

A group of eight Democrats today asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for the health care reform bill to be posted online for 72 hours before a vote on the measure and once again before a vote on the conference report that will meld the House and Senate versions.

The senators told Reid that health care reform should be more transparent and easier for their constituents to understand. A CBS poll released last month showed that two-thirds of Americans say the issue is confusing and just 31 percent say they have a clear understanding of what reform will mean for their own care.

The senators wrote, "At a time when trust in Congress and the U.S. government is unprecedentedly low, we can begin to rebuild the American people's faith in their federal government through transparency and by actively inviting Americans to participate in the legislative process."

The senators are borrowing the idea from Kentucky Republican Sen. Jim Bunning, who offered an amendment during the Finance Committee debate that would have put the health care reform bill into legislative language, scored it by the Congressional Budget Office, and put it online for the public to read for three full days before the committee voted on it.

When he introduced his idea, Bunning said, "Quite frankly, I think Americans are tired us us taking the easy way out, tired of us not reading or having the time to read the bills. They expect more from us and we should deliver it." The Democrats are asking Reid to deliver on all three of Bunning's suggestions.

When Bunning introduced his amendment last month, Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) accused him of trying to stall progress on health care reform and the committee rejected the amendment.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) crossed party lines to vote for it and took the lead on circulating the letter among her colleagues this week. Seven other moderate Democrats signed on: Evan Bayh of Indiana, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joe Lieberman (independent Democrat) of Connecticut, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Jim Webb of Virginia.

"We believe the American public's participation in this process is critical to our overall success of creating a bill that lowers health care costs and offers access to quality and affordable health care for all Americans," the letter concluded. The Finance Committee has posted the final version of its bill online prior to the committee vote, but the bill has not yet been scored by the CBO and remains in conceptual, rather than legislative, language.

PoliticsDaily

26 comments:

Rhod said...

Reid. I've seen more appealing substances in a latrine.

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

No offense meant, but I don't need to read it. It's one more arm of government trying to control my life.

I am glad to hear that some Democrats are in fear of their political lives. And that has forced them to do the right thing. They did not do it out of the goodness of their hearts.

It still has to get past the very arrogant Harry Reid. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Barrak Obama are in this for one reason and one reason only. They are trying to buy votes with our money ... that's it plain and simple. That's one reason it isn't enacted until 2013. Their voters would turn on them before obama's try for a second term.

Snarky Basterd said...

And Reid's response? "Go frig yourself."

Curiously, I predict he'll receive the same response from Nevada voters next fall.

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

One thing I forgot to mention was it did look like the telephone crusade worked big time. Like I said, They fear for their political lives. People that voted for them are turning on them, and they know it even if the MSM does not report it.

Mike said...

They need to push him, all right; push him off a cliff.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Rhod... No substance there!

RightKlik said...

More sunlight...better results. This kind of disclosure should be standard. It's the very least they can do to deliver on the transparency they've promised. They should put it on line for at least one business week at each stage of the legislative process. Two weeks would be great.

I do like the fact that the Senators are calling for online exposure at multiple points. Forces the legislators to give more thought to what they're putting out there.

This is a rare example of moderate Democrats promoting a good idea. We should give credit where credit is due.

Anonymous said...

Woody, It's amazing to me that their first query isn't "What do the American public really want?" It's "How can we sneak this past them?"

Anonymous said...

Dave, I agree. I hope next Fall is not too late.

Anonymous said...

Jeez, Mike... another Looney Tunes reference?

Anonymous said...

Klik, I'm at the point where I suspect EVERYTHING they do as being cover for something else. They bred this attitude.

WomanHonorThyself said...

what Rhod said..ha

Anonymous said...

Woman... Please don't encourage him.

Anonymous said...

Holy Crap!!

Dazed... Welcome to Obama's America.

Anonymous said...

Heres the story from the U.S. perspective, but the pictorial link is broken, possibly so it doesn't offend Muslims.

Opus #6 said...

I'm with Rhod and Woman on this.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Dazed. I don't see them selling quickly in my neighborhood. It's just more appeasement.

Lucy Stern said...

Harry Reid is going to do what he darn well pleases.....

Libertarian Advocate said...

72 hours??? It should be 14 days! Of course NONE OF THEM want ANYTHING that will hold their feet to the fire.

PEOPLE, CLEAN HOUSE IN 2010!

Anonymous said...

Lucy, you're right.

Anonymous said...

LA... Their greatest fear is that, given 72 hours, the blogosphere will digest and interpret the hidden secret horrors of this legislation. They can't risk it.

Kid said...

Sufferin Suckatash !!

- Thanks to any democrats who resist this fascist takeover of the health care system.

- Why aren't the republicans screaming about this day after day and making themselves heard. Buy some airtime with all the payola cash, you get it for free for God's sake.

- I've said it before and here it is again. The Bill would be one page that reads "Everyone gets free health care anywhere they want for the rest of their lives and taxes won't go up" and I would vote no 8 days a week.

Anyone who even thinks they want government standing between them and health care - the most important personal issue of their lives is Dumber Than a Sack O Wet Mice !

Book ended it there for you Nickie.

Anonymous said...

The Republicans look like they're gonna fold, Kid.

Kid said...

Nickie. They have on everything so far..

USA_Admiral said...

How does this piece of dirt keep getting elected? It speaks volumes about Nevada.

Rhod said...

Nevada is the home of the Littlest Big Senator in the World.