GOP decries lack of transparency

Republicans criticized the Senate's top Democrat for crafting a massive health overhaul package behind closed doors, a move they said runs counter to a campaign pledge made by President Barack Obama. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) accused Democrats of trying to “jam” a bill past the American public before the Christmas holiday, adding “no one will have an opportunity to read it or understand it.”

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader, is expected to unveil a major portion of the Senate's reform package Saturday morning. Under Senate rules, once he does so, a series of votes and debates will begin and likely take until Christmas to complete.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who appeared with McConnell at a Capitol Hill news conference, said that the Obama administration fudged on its pledge to craft the reform legislation in public, with input from both sides of the aisle. “There's no bipartisanship here,” he said. “One senator knows what's in this bill.” McConnell agreed, pledging to use the Senate's rules to stall the bill as much as possible. “It is our intent not to pass this bill easily,” he said. “We don't think this bill ought to pass.”

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