YOU PROMISED: C-SPAN challenges President Obama, Congress to give public “full access” to final health care negotiations
In a letter dated December 30, 2009, C-SPAN called upon President Obama and United States Congressional leaders to conduct final health care overhaul deliberations in public view.
The single-page request, written by C-SPAN Chairman and CEO Brian P. Lamb, was prompted by House and Senate leaders’ recent decision to hold reconciliation discussions in private.
“Many of your rank-and-file members and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system,” Lamb noted in the letter. “Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American.”
Lamb went on to explain how C-SPAN, a public service created in 1979 by America’s cable television companies, has provided consistent coverage of hundreds of hours of committee hearings, mark ups and floor debate since health care legislation was introduced in the House and Senate.
“We hope you will give serious consideration to this request,” Lamb concluded. “We are most willing to employ the latest digital technology to make the cameras, lights and microphones as unobtrusive as possible.”
Congressional leaders have acknowledged receipt of the letter, but provided no indication of intent to comply with C-SPAN’s request.
President Barack Obama has been harshly criticized by Republicans and some Democrats for conducting final negotiations in private. As a candidate, Obama pledged numerous times to hold such discussion in full public view.
According to a Jan 7, 2010 op-ed piece in the Nashua Telegraph, Obama invoked the name of C-SPAN when promising to bring transparency to the health care reform process.
“I’m going to have all the negotiations around a big table,” the President said at a town meeting on Aug. 21, 2008 in Chester, Virginia. “We’ll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies – they’ll get a seat at the table, they just won’t be able to buy every chair.
“But what we will do is, we’ll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies.”
Big 3 News fully supports the efforts of C-SPAN to help bring sunshine and open government to the legislative process. In Ohio, legislators are required to conduct the public’s business in open, with few exceptions to enter into private or executive session. Ohio’s Sunshine Laws help reduce the influence of special interests and corporate agendas, and preserve the uniquely American traditions of representative government.
On a Wed., Jan. 6th live broadcast, Big 3 News left a message of support at C-SPAN headquarters in Washington, D.C. and encouraged all of our viewers to contact them with their thoughts.
In addition, Big 3 News attempted to reach House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s voice mail system, but was greeted with a “full box” notification. Big 3 News successfully left a recorded message for Senate Leader Harry Reid.
Please contact your Congressman, Senator, the White House and C-SPAN and let them know where you stand on health care negotiations. Remember: government leaders are “elected servants” and work for you. Hold them accountable.
To Contact C-SPAN: 1-202-737-3220 or email viewer@c-span.org or journal@c-span.org
To Contact Congress: 1-202-224-3121
To Contact Senate: 1-202-224-3121
To Contact the White House: 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414
Watch President Obama speak about transparency:
Watch Big 3 News call Congress:
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Got an email to my rep in.