Republican House Minority leader Boehner



vs Democrat House Majority Leader Pelosi

Below is CSPAN letter in question

Democrat leadership response



White House response



Republican leader's response

Boehner Endorses C-SPAN’s Request for Public Health Care Negotiations

GOP Leader: “Hard-working families won’t stand for having the future of their health care decided behind closed doors. Too much is at stake to have a final bill built on payoffs and pork-barrel spending.”

Washington, Jan 5 -

            WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is strongly endorsing a request from the head of C-SPAN that the public have full access to health care negotiations as Democratic leaders continue to indicate they will shut the American people out and write a final bill behind closed doors.

            “As House Republican Leader, I can confidently state that all House Republicans strongly endorse your proposal and stand ready to work with you to make it a reality,” Boehner wrote in response to a letter C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb sent to congressional leaders. “Hard-working families won’t stand for having the future of their health care decided behind closed doors.  These secret deliberations are a breeding ground for more of the kickbacks, shady deals and special-interest provisions that have become business as usual in Washington.  Too much is at stake to have a final bill built on payoffs and pork-barrel spending.”

            President Obama repeatedly promised on the campaign trail that health care reform negotiations would be public and broadcast on C-SPAN.

            Transparency issues continue to dog Washington Democrats, who have compiled a troubling track-record of jamming through massive bills that have not been properly scrutinized.  Boehner’s letter highlights the GOP’s congressional transparency initiative, a series of reform measures that includes a resolution introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) requiring that these health care negotiations be made open to the public.

The letter to C-SPAN Chairman and CEO Brian Lamb is available here and follows: 

January 5, 2010

Brian Lamb
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, C-SPAN
400 N. Capitol St. NW
Suite 650
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Brian,
         
Thank you for your recent letter requesting that the American people have full access to health care reform negotiations.  As House Republican Leader, I can confidently state that all House Republicans strongly endorse your proposal and stand ready to work with you to make it a reality.

            C-SPAN’s role in fostering government transparency is so significant that on several occasions during the last presidential campaign, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) pledged that health care reform negotiations would be broadcast on C-SPAN so the “American people will know what’s going on.”

            Unfortunately, the President, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Reid now intend to shut out the American people at the most critical hour by skipping a bipartisan conference committee and hammering out a final health care bill in secret.

            Of course, every issue of national import should be debated by the people’s elected representatives in full public view, but this is especially true with something as personal and important as health care.  Clocking in at a combined 4,765 pages, the House and Senate health care bills propose drastic and expensive changes in the way Americans live.  Dozens of differences between the two bills have been identified, including fundamental changes to the patient-doctor relationship.

            Hard-working families won’t stand for having the future of their health care decided behind closed doors.  These secret deliberations are a breeding ground for more of the kickbacks, shady deals and special-interest provisions that have become business as usual in Washington.  Too much is at stake to have a final bill built on payoffs and pork-barrel spending.

            As you know, congressional transparency has long been a concern of citizens and congressional observers, but never before has the need for reform been more apparent than in the past year under the Democratic majority.  Republicans have listened to the American people and are committed to making Congress more accountable to the people it serves.  In November, we proposed a congressional transparency initiative, a series of reform measures that includes a resolution introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) requiring that these health care negotiations be made open to the public.  While you await a response from Speaker Pelosi, we will continue to call on her to allow a vote on Rep. Buchanan’s resolution.

            Since the first New England town meetings of the colonial era, open government has been a hallmark of American democracy.  Over the last 30 years, C-SPAN has helped continue and strengthen that tradition.  The American people are well served by your continued vigilance in this matter.

Sincerely,
John Boehner
Member of Congress
Republican Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

CSPAN put together this interesting hour or so of highlights from the Senate Health Care bill debate and passage.

Democrats



Republicans

Republicans and Democrats on final day passing the Senate Health care bill 60-39.

Discussion before final vote and final vote



Then some remarks from various Senators before recess

Day 17



Day 18

Motion to Table Reid Amendment to Change Enactment Date Passed 60-49
Reid Amendment: To improve the bill.Passed 60-39
Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Reid Amendment In the nature of a substitute Passed 60-39

In the Morning...



Into the evening...



Day 19

Ensign Constitutional Point of Order  Failed 39-60
Waive the Budget Act on Corker point of order with respect to unfunded mandates Passed 55-44
Motion to Table Cornyn Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair Passed 57-42
Hutchison Constitutional Point of Order Failed 39-60
Motion to Table DeMint Amendment Passed 53-46
Adoption of the Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin substitute amendment Passed 60-39 
Cloture on the underlying bill, HR 3590, as amended Passed 60-39   

Senate Democrats after last cloture vote with final vote set for tomorrow. This first video gets into the Republican news conference but cuts off in the middle of it. Second video below includes the whole Republican news conference.



Senate Republicans just before above vote

Senate Republicans for about 11 minutes.



Senate Democrats for about 19 minutes.

Democrat Senator Landrieu



Republican Senator Barrasso

Republicans



Democrats

Reid's Manager's Amendment passed 60-40. 58 Democrats 2 Independents for and 40 Republicans against.

Republicans vs Democrats just before passage of Reid's Manager's Amendment.

Reid's Manager's Amendment passed 60-40. 58 Democrats 2 Independents for and 40 Republicans against.

Democrat Senator Harkin vs Republican Senator McCain.

Reid's Manager's Amendment passed 60-40. 58 Democrats 2 Independents for and 40 Republicans against.

Republican Senator Thune



vs Democrat Senator Dodd

Interesting discussion from two points of view on various subjects from Afghanistan, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and current health care legislation.

Reid's Manager's Amendment passed 60-40. 58 Democrats 2 Independents for and 40 Republicans against.

Intense Debate throughout the day...



The actual vote in the evening...

Democrats vs Republicans as Reid's Manager's Amendment of over 300 pages is read and some debate before and afterwards.

Democrat conference from today



Republican conference from today



Democrat Senator Nelson from today



Republican Senator McConnell from today



Independent Bernie Sanders from today

17 Minute portion of yesterday's debate between Republican Roberts and Democrat Durbin.

Tom Coburn of Oklahoma



Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico

Reid vs McConnell from 12/17/2009 on the Senate floor.