ATHENS, TEXAS— Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) today requested that CSPAN be allowed to televise the Democratic leadership’s negotiations on a national health care bill.  “Democracy without openness is an oxymoron,” said Hensarling.  “The people in Dallas and East Texas have just as much right to know what’s going on as the Washington insiders who are running this process; after all we will be paying for it in the end.”

Hensarling made his request after it became public that the Democratic Party leadership would by-pass the traditional bipartisan conference committee process to merge the different national health care bills passed by the House and Senate Democratic majorities in Congress.

“I agree with Leader Boehner, too much is at stake to have a final bill built on payoffs and pork-barrel spending,” concluded Congressman Hensarling.  “The President and the Speaker have both gone back on their promises of an open debate on national health care legislation.  I say, let’s put it on CSPAN so the people of Texas can see what’s going on and decide for themselves whether special insider deals for individual states and health care-related industries is the right way to reform the way we pay for health care.”