Yes! They must hurry up. The longer it stays out the more misinformation will metastasize in many American’s head.
WASHINGTON — The White House was put on the defensive Wednesday after President Barack Obama pushed congressional leaders to fast-track health care legislation behind closed doors despite his campaign promises of an open process.
"The president wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said as reporters questioned him repeatedly about Obama’s decision to go along with House and Senate leaders in bypassing the usual negotiations between the two chambers in the interest of speed.
The decision was made in an Oval Office meeting Tuesday evening with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his No. 2, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined in by phone.
They agreed that rather than setting up a formal conference committee to resolve differences between health bills passed last year by the House and Senate, the House will work off the Senate’s version, amend it and send it back to the Senate for final passage, according to a House leadership aide, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private meeting.
Obama himself will take a hands-on role, and is convening another meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday. Pelosi and four Democratic committee leaders are expected to attend.
Gibbs told reporters Wednesday to "ask the leaders in Congress" about the fast-track approach, even though Obama was involved in making it and the closed nature of the proceedings is at odds with a promise he made while campaigning for president. In a January 2008 debate, Obama said that his approach to health care talks would involve "bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are."
Republicans have jumped on the contradiction to accuse Obama and Democrats of operating in secret, an assertion Democrats dispute. "There has never been a more open process for any legislation in anyone who serves here’s experience," Pelosi declared at a news conference Tuesday.
Asked about Obama’s campaign trail promise, Pelosi remarked, without elaboration, "There are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail."
Obama: Hurry Up On Health Care, Bypass Usual Negotiations
