On January 31, 2008, then-Senator Obama said this about healthcare deliberations:

“That’s what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors . . . and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process.”

President Obama made such a promise at least eight times, yet it was reported last Tuesday that the Democrat congressional leadership will bypass the traditional conference committee process. It is widely believed that the negotiations will be entirely hidden from the public. This is not transparency, and the American people deserve better.

Please sign the petition below

President Obama and Congressional Leaders,

The health care legislation that is being debated now is of the upmost importance to the American people given that wide ranging effects that it will have. You must let C-SPAN broadcast the negotiation process: Americans have a fundamental right to know the direction the legislation is heading and their representatives' role in the debate. We deserve better than backroom deals, political payoffs, and special interests dictating the terms of our health care.