Kyl: GOP won't walk out of White House summit

Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday pledged that Republicans would stay at the White House's healthcare summit on Thursday, dismissing any question that the GOP would stage a walkout.

"I don't think it's ever courteous to walk out of a meeting, particularly with somebody like the president when he's invited you to be with him," Kyl said. "We're not trying to take political advantage or engage in some kind of political gamesmanship, and I hope the president and my Democratic colleagues would do that, either. I mean, this is serious business."

Kyl was one of the White House's original invitees, along with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

McConnell on Tuesday added Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), ranking Finance Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), HELP Committee member John McCain (R-Ariz.), and the Senate’s only two physicians — Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).