House Republican slams Senate GOP for secretive health-care process: 'It looks like they're trying to hide something'

GOP Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) on Wednesday ripped Senate Republicans for carrying out their discussions on the American Health Care Act behind closed doors. "It looks like they're trying to hide something and it does add to conspiracy theories and everything else," King said in a radio interview with L.I. in the A.M.
King said that while there's a time and a place for private meetings, there should be "more public debate" on the Senate's version of the GOP-backed health-care bill that narrowly passed the House last month. "All of democracy can't be open all the time, things are going to have to be done behind closed doors, that's just common sense," said King, who voted for the bill in the House. "Having said that, that should be kept to a minimum, so I think that if this is too secretive, it's going to put a cloud over the whole final product."
Many Republicans remain unclear on what exactly is in the Senate's version of the health-care bill, but Senate Republican leadership is eyeing a vote next week.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Catch King's interview below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths