As the congressional recess comes to a close, it seems that there are more questions left to Health Care reform than there are answers.
Coming to no surprise at all, yet at the same time politically risky, the Democrats had remained fairly silent in terms of addressing constituent concerns, as only a mere 17 of the 58 Democratic senators — less than a third — were holding town halls back home, according to an informal POLITICO survey of every Democratic office in Congress. And as for the house, of 263 Democrats in the House, 91 were holding public forums for constituents — just over a third. Among those in the red is our very own Senator Schumer, whom I remember adamantly threw himself to the forefront of the Health Care debate and expressed the dire need for public option/strong Health Care reform. Now, it seems as though he doesn't have an ounce of fortitude to hold a town hall meeting to face his constituents, look them in the eyes and tell them that he supports Health Care reform -- or better yet, that he supports a completely partisan reconciliation vote of just 51 votes, indicating that he is willing to force a Health Care bill with NO Republican support at all. So why isn't he holding a town hall meeting you ask? Because he knows his constituents, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike, disagree with his policies. So technically he's ignoring his constituent base. Pragmatic? I think not...
Unless the Democrats get their act together, it will seem that all Pro-Health Care reform Senators have become ignorant of their own constituents -- that is, the very same people who have voted them in. It is no secret to the public that that they are simply following the sway of their party, rather than having the courage to question the current process of Health Care Reform for the sake of their constituents. Have they forgotten their responsibilities to vote based on the people's choice, and not theirs? It has become apparent recently that many life-long Democratic citizens across America have even begun to reconsider their party of choice. Democratic leaders believe that by courting Independent voters they will gain public approval for Health Care Reform, but it is clear that they should look no further than their own party. The message to me is clear for the Congressional leaders in Capitol Hill: if America, or specifically an overwhelming majority of your own constituents, is not in favor of the current Health Care legislation, then they must revise the bill altogether to better suit public approval. They shouldn't force current legislation. As a supporter of Health Care reform myself, I have continuously stated that there needs to be bi-partisan support, and not an isolationist approach that the Democrats are currently undertaking. I understand that in today's realm of politics, Washington has never been so divided, from abortion, gun laws, affirmative action, health care, immigration, and taxation to foreign policy strategies. Consequently, the Democratic majority have realized that the Republicans may never compromise simply for the sake of executing through party bias. However, the reality check may not come in the following months per se, but rather in the 2010 and 2012 election cycles in which angry voters across party lines will vote the majority out of Washington D.C. Republican voters will for the fact that they would like to see their party in the majority of course, but more importantly even the Democrats and Independents would vote against the majority simply for forcing policies that are highly unfavorable in general. While they may have the power/constitutional rights to vote however which they please, their voting record will ultimately affect their chances of re-election.
To those Democratic leaders who have done the right thing and stood up to their peers in such times of adversity, such as Sen. Arlen Spector (D-Pa.), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), they still will stand a chance with their constituents during elections even if Health Care reform fails. Their constituents will appreciate the time and efforts taken to listen to their opinions, whether for or against reform. The power of elected political officials, their prestige, honor, and clout within Capitol Hill, lies in their public support. Without it, and they are politically dead. Democrats must hold town hall meetings not only for the sake of having one but to visualize first hand the dissension that their constituents feel over the current Health Care legislation and the hoopla surrounding it.
No comments:
Post a Comment