Honolulu –House Republicans said today the House Democratic Leadership is afraid of open discussion. So Democrats have resorted to distorting events in a way that borders on falsehood.

"Yesterday a Democratic legislator attempted to debate the teachers' health fund bill, and after Democrat leadership repeatedly frustrated her efforts, Republicans moved to suspend the rules to enable discussion to take place," said Rep. Galen Fox, House Republican Leader. "Republicans were acting on behalf of teachers and others who want open discussion, and Democrats' leadership responded by suppressing debate before we could vote on the health fund."

Fox added, "Now Democrat leaders—those who shamelessly acted to suppress debate—issue a personal attack on several Republicans who sought debate. They incorrectly stated how Republicans voted on the health fund when in fact there was no such vote."

According to Fox , "They go on to attack us for seeking glory rather than bipartisanship, when in fact we sought a bipartisan discussion of teachers' concerns. The teachers came to the Capitol to listen, Democrats shut off a Republican attempt to encourage a debate and vote, and now Democrats are going to have to bear full responsibility for suppressing debate."

"When the leader of the Democrats makes false statements, it suggests all the Democrats are making these false statements and that is not true," Fox said. "Thanks to Democrat leaders, there was never a vote on the health fund. We only voted on whether we should suspend the rules of the House to discuss the teachers' health fund. "