Today, U.S. Senator Dean Heller and Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-13) sent a letter to each of the newly-appointed members of the Super Committee requesting that proceedings be open to the public.

U.S. Senator Dean Heller

The letter asks that all meetings and hearings be conducted in a transparent manner through advanced public notification, public attendance and live television broadcasts.

Said Heller:

…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.

Heller also introduced the Budget Control Joint Committee Transparency Act (S.1501), which requires all proceedings of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction to be open to the public and available for television broadcast. Buchanan introduced similar legislation in the House.

In the days after the Budget Control Act was signed into law, Heller and a group of five Senators also wrote to Senate leadership requesting that they require transparency from the Super Committee.