President Obama, recipient of the Transparency Award continues to make the creators of the award proud with his latest Executive Order, which is a collection of amendments to exisiting executive orders.
Of particular note is Section 6, which simply states: "Executive Order 13507 of April 8, 2009 ("Establishment of the White House Office of Health Reform"), is hereby revoked."
Really now.
The White House Office of Health Reform was created specifically to form policy for the health care reform act. In charge of this 'office' was Nancy-Ann DeParle, who drew criticism for her "lucrative" service on corporate boards after her tenure in the Clinton administration. Reported to have been paid more than $6 million, and served as a director of half a dozen companies that faced federal investigations, whistleblower lawsuits and other regulatory actions. Many of these companies had a stake in the health care reform she lead.
In March, House Republicans said they were "concerned and disappointed" by the administration's refusal to provide in-depth documentation about healthcare reform meetings, to which White House counsel Bob Bauer replied: "To provide all possible information encompassed by your request, every meeting, briefing or telephone call, would constitute a vast and expensive undertaking."
By issuing today's Executive Order, the president has simply scrubbed the entire office, and presumably evidence, altogether.
How convenient!