The Denver Post: Republicans in Congress are trampling the democratic process.

Instead of holding an open and transparent conference committee detailing the compromises GOP lawmakers reportedly have reached on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Republicans refused to discuss any aspect of what would be included and excluded in the largest change to tax policy in three decades. Instead the public was treated to three hours of big-picture political posturing.

It was an affront to transparency and to the American public. Shame on President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan for disregarding the fact that they work for the American people — we pay their salaries and the least we ask of them is to not hide what they do while being public servants.

Sadly, Republicans probably got the idea from Democrats, who in January of 2010 attempted to rush through the Affordable Care Act without holding a conference committee and instead hammered out the negotiations behind closed doors.

We wrote then: “Political bickering, wheeling and dealing, and fact-twisting are inherent parts of government, but Americans must be part of the process — even if it is just watching the madness through a camera lens.”

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