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Policy Letter

POGO Joins An Open Letter to the United States House of Representatives: Support the Health Care Transparency Resolution!

Dear Representative:

On behalf of an ideologically diverse coalition of millions of Americans, we write to strongly urge that you sign the discharge petition for H. Res. 847. Introduced by Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL), this petition would force a vote on a bipartisan "Sunshine Resolution" to call on Congress and the Obama Administration to conduct all negotiations surrounding landmark health care reform legislation "in full public view and not behind closed doors."

The last few months of deliberation on health care have exposed myriad issues on which the left and right sides of our political spectrum are deeply divided. However, robust transparency in the drafting of legislation is one of the few matters that bind all of the signatories together. Simply stated, Americans of all political stripes are united in their demand for an end to the cloistered discussions that mar our legislative process.

Our health care system affects too many lives and too many dollars to allow legislation reforming it to be designed in secret. Should such a bill become law, it would alter the circumstances of tens of millions of families and businesses. Those Americans need full access to any meetings in which decisions will be made regarding final language and details about how each chamber will proceed to the legislation, whether between Members, their legislative staff, or outside interests.

Signing this discharge petition will not be an act of politics, but one of principle. It will demonstrate your belief in the values of transparency and openness in government that enjoy overwhelming support by the American people and have been touted by President Obama and Congressional leaders. Please sign the discharge petition for H. Res. 847 in order to provide the transparency that your constituents want and deserve.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Duane Parde

President

National Taxpayers Union

Jim Martin

Chairman

60 Plus Association

Laurence Socci

Americans for Conservative Values

Bill Wilson

President

Americans for Limited Government

Tim Phillips

President

Americans for Prosperity

Tom Jenney

Arizona Director

Americans for Prosperity

Grover Norquist

President

Americans for Tax Reform

William Haygood Shaker

Volunteer President

American Council for Health Care Reform

Dick Patten

President

American Family Business Institute

Terry Francke

General Counsel

Californians Aware

John Tate

President

Campaign for Liberty

Sandra Fabry

Executive Director

Center for Fiscal Accountability

Jeffrey Mazzella

President

Center for Individual Freedom

Barbara Anderson

Executive Director

Citizens for Limited Taxation

Wendy Wright

President

Concerned Women for America

Rick Scott

Conservatives for Patients Rights

Brian McManus

Director of Federal Affairs

Council for Affordable Health Insurance

Thomas A. Schatz

President

Council for Citizens Against Government Waste

Jim Babka

President

DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

Tom McClusky

Senior Vice President

Family Research Council Action

Matt Kibbe

President and CEO

FreedomWorks

John Tillman

CEO

Illinois Policy Institute

Michelle D. Bernard

President and CEO

Independent Women's Voice

Donald P. Racheter, PhD

Director

Iowa Transparency Project

J.H. Snider, MBA, PhD

President

iSolon.org

Colin Hanna

President

Let Freedom Ring

Michael D. Ostrolenk

National Director

Liberty Coalition

Lew Uhler

President

National Tax Limitation Committee

Doug Kagan

Chairman

Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom

Danielle Brian

Executive Director

Project On Government Oversight

Paul Gessing

President

Rio Grande Foundation

John W. Whitehead

President

The Rutherford Institute

Robert S. Knego, MD

President

Sarasota County Medical Society

Ellen S. Miller

Executive Director

Sunlight Foundation

Dane von Breichenruchardt

President

U.S. Bill of Rights Foundation