House Republican: Americans Deserve Transparency In Health Care Debate

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI.) states that the American people deserve transparency and public debate about health care reform. (0:22)
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Cantor: What Are Democrats Hiding?

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) he accuses Democrats for blocking transparency in the health care reform effort.

“The question to me is: what is the majority hiding?” said Cantor. “Did they not want to vote on an amendment which would require that members of Congress fall under any kind of public option that we impose on the American people? If so, shame on them.” (0:32)
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Lack Of Transparency In Health Care Negotiations, Charges Boehner

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) says that during the 2008 Presidential Campaign, President Barack Obama promised greater transparency in the shaping of the health care reform legislation. Boehner contends that "this bill is being written in the dark of night." (0:18)
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Sen. Landrieu Addresses Transparency Issues With Baucus Bill

Senator Mary. L Landrieu (D-La.) wants to have full disclosure of the costs and effects of the health care bill before it comes to the Senate floor for debate. She hopes that the Senate can continue to work on the floor in order to bring down the cost for the taxpayers, businesses, and individuals. (1:06)
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Congress needs to know legal justifications, says Feingold

Senator Feingold (D-WI), speaking at a hearing of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee on "Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government," says that it is important for the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to release its legal justifications for executive-branch programs. He says the OLC changes its justifications in response to Congressional legislation, so the Congress needs to know the OLC's reasoning. (0:31)
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DOJ says legal opinions should not be public until made into policy

John Elwood, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, testifying at a hearing of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights Subcommittee on "Secret Law and the Threat to Democratic and Accountable Government," says that legal justifications for implemented policies are available to Congress, since operative policy is "law." However, he says there is a confidentiality interest in the legal opinions written by the OLC while they are advising among policy choices. (0:54)
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Obama Campaign on Hillary Clinton

Robert Gibbs, the communications director of the Obama campaign, held a conference call today discussing Hillary Clinton, the tax returns and the need for transparency in the government.
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ACLU says administration attempt to keep warrantless wiretapping out of court is "extremely dangerous for democracy"

Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the Washington Legislative Office of the ACLU, reacts to Attorney General Mukasey's comments yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the telecommunications companies should be granted immunity in order to keep the president's warrantless wiretapping program out of the courts. Frederickson says insulating these kinds of activity from accountability would damage us as a nation. Moreover, courts are equipped to handle sensitive and classified information. (1:46)
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