Transparency in Health Care Reform: Deja Vu All Over Again?

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 11:33 AM by Mattie Duppler

If you’ve been following the health care townhalls that are taking place across the country, you’ve seen SRO meetings where enraged taxpayers are demanding answers from their representatives. Unfortunately, they are not getting them. It’s evident that the House has left Washington with a clear message from the administration – Stay. On. Message.

What’s more, while the battle against healthcare “reform” gathers steam as Americans become more educated on the prospect of a government-run program, the House Energy and Commerce Committee (no doubt sensing that, in this case, knowledge is power) is trying to keep the public in dark on their plan to overhaul the system.

The examiner has a great op-ed today discussing the author’s attempts to convince the committee to put their version of the bill online. The committee passed its version before it left for recess on Friday, amending its initial mark-up extensively. The Examiner called to try to retrieve a final version - and was told a final version may not be available to the public until after the August recess. As the author points out, “unless it is being done in longhand, there is no reason not to post the text, amendments and all, immediately.” After the transparency travesties that rushed Cap-and-Trade through the House and whisked the ineffective “stimulus” through Congress, it is obvious leadership is hoping to do the same with Healthcare. Hopefully, American taxpayers won’t let them get away with it.

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