Reps to Request Info on White House Health Care Deals

Jan. 30, 2010— -- In a rare display of bipartisanship, a top House Democrat agreed to back a Republican lawmaker's quest for details of closed-door deals the White House made with industry insiders to produce a healthcare reform bill.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he'd help Dr. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) seek information on the names of representatives from the pharmaceutical, device, hospital, doctor, and insurance sectors, who met with White House officials regarding healthcare reform.

Waxman and Burgess said they will also request any written materials regarding the "sum and substance" of any deals made when the individual or groups met with a White House representative, and any "written materials memorializing any agreements that were provided to outside participants."

They said they will also request written communications between Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, and stakeholders from the healthcare industry.

It's no secret that the White House struck deals with various interest groups in order to win their support for overall healthcare reform.

"What we don't know is who made a deal with whom," said Burgess, an Ob/Gyn.

The Obama administration has been criticized by some of its own supporters for what they see as reneging on a campaign promise to bring to the office an unparalleled level of transparency.

At one point, Obama even told the nation that he would welcome C-SPAN cameras into healthcare negotiations that would normally be top secret.

But no C-SPAN cameras ever recorded the closed-door deals, much to the dismay of the president of C-SPAN, who sent a letter to congressional leaders in December asking for access to film healthcare reform discussions.

In September, Burgess sent a letter to Obama asking for details on deals struck at a May meeting at the White House in which stakeholders pledged savings of $2 trillion in reduced costs.

That meeting included representatives from the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the American Medical Association (AMA), America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).