By Kara Rowland
House Democrats blocked the public from attending the unveiling ceremony of their health-care bill Thursday morning, allowing only pre-approved visitors whose names appeared on lists to enter the event at the West side of the Capitol.
The audience at the crowded press conference included Hill staffers, union workers, health care providers and students, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who thanked them for attending.
Mrs. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders announced the chamber's long-awaited version of a health care overhaul, which would expand insurance coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans, costing less than $900 billion over 10 years.
The West side of the Capitol — the area where President Barack Obama was inaugurated — is traditionally open to the public. But the entrances were blocked off Thursday morning by metal fences, with Capitol police officers standing next to staff members holding clipboards with lists of approved attendees.
Reporters with press badges were able to get in.
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A video posted on YouTube by Minority Whip Eric Cantor's office depicted a Republican staffer attempting to attend the press conference and being turned away by a police officer.
• YouTube video: People being turned away from the health-care bill ceremony.
"Our event had more than 250 people present, primarily supporters, but also some protesters," said Doug Thornell, a spokesman for Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrat and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Our blended bill was posted online this morning. In contrast, the Republican event today was open only to credentialed media and GOP staffers. More importantly, it's been 134 days and they still haven't shown the American people their bill or pledged to post it online for 72 hours like we have."
Several protesters gathered outside of the fenced-in event. Near the beginning of Mrs. Pelosi's remarks, a man shouted on a megaphone that Democrats would "go to hell for this," to which she quipped: "Thank you, insurance companies of America."
Republicans held their event in the House television studio, a standard location for news conferences. Press gallery rules restrict access to members of Congress who have been invited to appear, and to their press secretaries.
For a party that came into power promising transparency this is what I expect. Interesting how it is the union leaders that have the invites and not the regular people who will be buried under an avalanche of regulations, taxes and wait times.
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