America's Right To Know

Floor Speech

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, the State of Florida leads the Nation with one of the toughest right-to-know laws in the country. Florida's strong Sunshine Law guards against back-room deals and secret negotiation by government officials. Democracy thrives best when the people are fully involved and engaged.

Along these lines, I've introduced a resolution demanding that the critical decisions made on the sweeping health care reform bill now before Congress be conducted under the watchful eye of the American people. My resolution puts the House on record against secret, closed-door deals on a health care bill that seeks to overhaul one-sixth of our country's entire economy. In the past, massive legislative measures have been written in the middle of the night by a handful of Members and staff and then quickly passed into law before the American people have had a chance to even see what the final version looks like, let alone determine how they feel about it.

It's time for Congress to follow Florida's lead and ensure that any conference committee meeting on health care reform be conducted in the light of day and under full public view. I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will cosponsor this important right-to-know measure and join me in this effort.

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