Posted on 10/18/2009 7:05:29 AM PDT by Libloather
Dodd Rejects That Healthcare Bill Is Being Written Behind Closed Doors; Strongly Backs Public Option
By Christopher Keating
October 16, 2009 4:28 PM
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd strongly rejected criticism that the highly important healthcare bill is being crafted only by Democrats behind closed doors.
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, who is challenging Dodd in the 2010 race, and others have complained that the important aspects of the complicated bill are being written without public input. Dodd played a key role in a Senate health committee that passed an earlier version of the bill, which is now being merged with a separate bill by the finance committee.
"They're not happening behind closed doors. That's a silly argument,'' Dodd told reporters Friday in Hartford. "[Utah Senator] Orrin Hatch has been behind more closed doors than anyone I know in the Senate. We had two very public mark-ups, debates. It's all out there. The bill is on the Web site. You can read it.''
Dodd continued, "It's a specious argument. Let's talk about the details. Why don't they have an idea that they're willing to put on the table about how to deal with healthcare? Just say no. I sat with Orrin for five weeks. All he ever said was "no'' on every idea that came up. That's not an answer for health care.''
"There's nothing closed-door about this,'' Dodd said. "I had the longest public mark-up in the history of that committee, and 161 amendments my Republican friends offered were adopted as part of the bill. That's more than half of the amendments that were considered. The finance committee spent equally that amount of time. This has been a long and extended debate.''
Simmons, who served six years in Congress before losing in the 2006 race, said the ongoing meets between Dodd and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus should be open.
"Democrats came to power in 2006 and 2008 on a pledge to be fully transparent,'' Simmons said Friday. "Now, Senator Dodd is in the midst of closed-door negotiations to determine the fate of America's health care system. With so much at stake, it is critical that Congress make public any side negotiations and conference committee meetings to determine the final content of national health care legislation. This debate and its final product should be conducted in public under the watchful eye of the American people.''
Simmons added, "Congress can speak with one voice and reassure Americans that we will not accept a process that allows for backroom deals cut by a select few."
Dodd is continuing his push for the so-called public option, which has become controversial and is opposed by many Republicans.
Dodd is peeing on your leg and telling you it is raining.
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