Congressmen Took Obama At His Word Over Invite to Review Health Bill “Line by Line”

President Obama issued the following invitation at a Town Hall meeting he held in July in Raleigh, NC (White House transcript):

So I just want everybody to know, Congress will have time to read the bill. They will have time to debate the bill. They will have all of August to review the various legislative proposals. When we come back in September, I will be available to answer any question that members of Congress have. If they want to come over to the White House and go over line by line what’s going on, I will be happy to do that.

The next day Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) wrote the President accepting his invitation. His letter is here. No word came back from the White House so Roe sent a second letter in early September. Two weeks after that second letter, still no response from the President who claimed he would be “happy” to sit down and go over the bill.

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), chair of the Congressional Health Care Caucus. has also written twice noting in his second letter that the President stated in his speech before Congress last week that “My door is always open.”

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) has also written multiple times with no response. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also indicated his willingness to review the health bills “line by line” with the President.