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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 847 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 847

     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that any 
conference committee or other meetings held to determine the content of 
   national health care legislation be conducted in public under the 
            watchful eye of the people of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 20, 2009

Mr. Buchanan (for himself, Mr. Lance, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Lee of 
 New York, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. McCarthy 
of California, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Mack, Mrs. Bono Mack, 
  Mr. Culberson, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Lucas, Mr. Cole, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. 
Gohmert, Mr. Buyer, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, 
Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin, Mr. Turner, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, 
  Mr. Cantor, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Issa, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Brown of South 
 Carolina, Mr. Jones, Mr. Paul, Mr. Latta, Ms. Fallin, Mr. Blunt, Mrs. 
 Schmidt, Mr. Hensarling, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Jordan of Ohio, Mr. Stearns, 
Mr. Dreier, Mr. Shuster, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
 Young of Florida, Mr. Putnam, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Petri, Mr. Lamborn, 
    Mr. Boehner, Mr. Herger, Mr. Terry, Mr. Camp, and Mr. Hoekstra) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                                on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that any 
conference committee or other meetings held to determine the content of 
   national health care legislation be conducted in public under the 
            watchful eye of the people of the United States.

Whereas House rules allow conference committees to hold closed-door meetings 
        that exclude the public and press;
Whereas over the years, full transparency has not been the standard as conferees 
        have met privately behind closed doors;
Whereas in previous years, conferees have met in smaller rooms or private 
        meetings and avoided full transparency;
Whereas the New York Times has reported on a disturbing pattern of House 
        leadership skirting open access by allowing small groups of conference 
        committee members to meet privately;
Whereas ABC News reported earlier this year that the $1 trillion stimulus bill 
        was passed after ``closed-door negotiations'';
Whereas health care reform is one of the largest public policy reforms taken up 
        by Congress in generations;
Whereas health care reform will affect the lives of all people in the United 
        States;
Whereas health care constitutes one-sixth of the Nation's economy; and
Whereas Congress is elected by the people to serve the people: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
any conference committee or other meetings held to determine the final 
content of sweeping national health care legislation be held in full 
public view and not behind closed doors.
                                 <all>
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