IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 847 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

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.