Vern Buchanan Repeats Call for Supercommittee Sunshine

With the 12 members of the bicameral supercommittee named and looking to cut federal spending, a Florida Republican renewed his call to ensure all of the new bodys meetings would be open to the public.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan teamed up with U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., last week to propose legislation so that the supercommittee, which was set up as part of the recent deal regarding raising the federal debt ceiling, would be open to the public and broadcast on television. On Thursday, Buchanan and Heller wrote a letter to the 12 members demanding they conduct their business publicly.

"This is a pivotal point in our nation's history," said Buchanan. "The critical decisions made by the joint committee should be conducted under the watchful eye of the American people."

"Congress should have seized the moment to pass a debt reduction plan that not only placed our nation on a path toward fiscal sustainability, but also set the foundation for economic growth, insisted Heller. "Congress still has an opportunity to do this. However, the American people deserve a responsive government that is fully accountable. Most Americans would agree that because of the magnitude of the decisions this committee has been tasked with, proceedings should be transparent and open to the public.