Ed Markey: “when a Pope dies, the cardinals meet in secret to select the next Pope. A white cloud goes up in smoke. When the Senate…”

“when a Pope dies, the cardinals meet in secret to select the next Pope. A white cloud goes up in smoke. When the Senate Republicans meet in secret to craft a healthcare bill, coverage for the sick, the disabled, and the elderly is what goes up in smoke--all of that coverage. The only thing more secret than the Republican healthcare bill is Donald Trump's tax returns. We might need ultimately to have a special counsel to go and to find out what is inside of that healthcare bill because right now the Democrats don't know, the American public doesn't know, and no one knows what is in that bill. While we may not have details on the Republicans' secretive proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, we know that they are not completely rewriting the House- passed legislation that eviscerates the Medicaid Program and reduces coverage and increases costs for most Americans and for the individuals, the families, and the communities caught in an opioid crisis. This bill will be a complete calamity, and it is being done totally in secret. Right now, the press is being stifled. The White House didn't even let reporters audiotape the press briefing today. Last week, the Senate Republicans tried to keep the press from asking questions of Senators in the hall. They don't want the press to know about this bill or to cover it.…”