Grievance 6: Deaf Politicians That Do Not Listen to Their Constituents.

In this information age, it has never been easier to communicate with the Congress, Senate, and the White House.  Communicating with them is the easy part, getting them to listen is difficult.  It seems the more we flood their email inboxes, shut down their phone system, and even drown them in snail mail, the more they continue to turn a deaf ear to the voters that put them in office. 

As we get closer to the implementation of key components of Obamacare, the bill remains unpopular.  Recent Rasmussen polling revealed the following:

1)      62% See Free Market As Better Than More Regulation In Reducing Health Care Costs.  (1)

2)      56% Favor Delaying Individual Health Care Mandate, 26% Opposed.  (2)

3)      61% Expect Health Care in U.S. To Get Worse Over Next Two Years.  (3)

Conservatives hoped that the last Presidential election would result in Republicans retaining the House, taking control of the Senate, and winning the White House.  The plan was a vote on repeal of Obamacare in both houses of Congress and have President Romney sign the bill.  Unfortunately that did not occur.  We then hoped that the Supreme Court would overturn the unconstitutional mandate.  Unfortunately, that did not occur either as Chief Justice Roberts declared the mandate a tax and ruled it constitutional.  (4)  Since then, the Republican controlled House of Representatives has voted 39 times to repeal Obamacare and is planning their 40^th vote.  (5) Unfortunately, once these bills leave the House they are sucked into the black hole of the Senate where they are never heard from again.  However, Utah Senator Mike Lee believes defunding Obamacare in the upcoming spending bill is the best shot to prevent its implementation.  (6)

One would think that with the growing unpopularity of Obamacare, there would be broad support for defunding the legislation but Senator Lee’s plan has run into stiff opposition from both Democrats and Republicans (7).  I can understand partisan Democrats opposing a Republican plan, especially one that cuts spending but we have to wonder if Republicans that ran for office promising to repeal Obamacare have become squeamish when it comes to voting for something that actually might stop the implementation of Obamacare.  

Senator Ted Cruz believes Republican opposition stems from a fear of being accused of shutting down the government because of not including funding for Obamacare in their spending bill.  (8) This is ludicrous for if they fund every other aspect except Obamacare, they would only be shutting down Obamacare and not the entire government.  Any government shutdown would be because of the failure of the Democrat controlled Senate to pass the spending bill or, in the event the Senate does pass the bill, a Presidential veto.  Any government shutdown would be on the President and the Democrats in the Senate. 

This brings us to the topic of border security.  Since the attacks on 9/11 and most recently the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon, securing our country from terrorist attacks has become a priority for our nation.  In the days after the 9/11 attacks, we even formed a new cabinet office to handle security.  However, our borders remain open resulting in an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in our country.  (9) Even though the majority of these illegals are Hispanic and are seeking to start a better life for themselves in this country, the open borders are also allowing criminals and potential terrorists to come into our country. 

If the attacks on 9/11 and the Boston Marathon taught us anything it is that it does not take many people to conduct a terrorist attack that results in the death of thousands of innocent people.  This is why a majority of people, including Hispanics, favor enhancing border security before any legalization or pathway to citizenship for those illegally in our country.  (9) (10)

In spite of overwhelming opposition to Obamacare, our illustrious leaders show no desire to vote on something what would actually stop Obamacare and instead want to conduct the 40^th show vote to repeal which is dead on arrival at the Senate.  These deaf politicians insist on comprehensive immigration reform, which includes immediate legalization of the 11 million estimated illegals already in the country and a pathway to citizenship without first securing the border, which is what the people want. 

Proponents of comprehensive immigration reform will argue that there is border security in the bill but it is only a promise.  It is the same promise given to Reagan in 1986, which resulted in the 11 million illegals currently living in our country.  (11) The 1986 promise of border security was an empty promise and if we do not have verifiable border security first this time, we will have another wave of illegals entering this country with the potential of some of these illegals committing crimes or worse yet, an act of terrorism. 

Our nation is a representative republic with voters electing representatives to represent their interests in Congress.  These same voters also elect a president to enforce the laws passed by the elected representatives.  Unfortunately, special interests with deep pockets now fund the campaigns of these representatives and the president so once these men and women enter office, they quickly forget the interests of the voters who elect them and instead focus on pleasing special interests that fund their campaigns.  Some believe that this is just the way Washington works and we just have to live with it but I must disagree. 

Our founding fathers never envisioned holding political office would become a career.  They envisioned a rotation of those in office.  Thomas Jefferson’s vision was for there to be citizen legislators that would serve for a few terms and then return to the private sector.  (12) Unfortunately attempts to include term limits in the constitution failed.  This is in large part due to James Madison’s writing in Federalist Paper 53 where he said,

"[A] few of the members of Congress will possess superior talents; will by frequent re-elections, become members of long standing; will be thoroughly masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages. The greater the proportion of new members of Congress, and the less the information of the bulk of the members, the more apt they be to fall into the snares that may be laid before them," wrote Madison.  (13)

However, career politicians that never have to be concerned with entering the private sector soon lose touch with the desires of their constituents and become enamored with campaign contributions from special interests.  Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a citizen legislature was designed to prevent this from happening.  If he were alive today, I believe he would be shaking his head and saying this is what he feared would happen without some form of term limits. 

We must rid ourselves of career politicians that line their pockets with special interest money and forget the interests of the voters placing them in office.  We could rid ourselves of career politicians through the electoral process but unfortunately, many vote for people based on name recognition and popularity.  A Representative or Senator that is continually in the news has automatic name recognition and popularity and are reelected based on this and not how well the listen to voters. 

The 22^nd amendment to the Constitution did invoke term limits for the President so I am proposing a constitutional amendment to add term limits for members of Congress and Senators as well.  Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a citizen legislature was correct in my opinion and through the implementation of term limits, we can bring that vision to fruition.   

1. Rasmussen Reports. www.rasmussenreports.com. 62% See Free Market As Better Than More Regulation In Reducing Health Care Costs. [Online] Rasmussen Reports, July 8, 2013. [Cited: July 20, 2013.] http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/archive/health_care_update_archive/july_2013/62_see_free_market_as_better_than_more_regulation_in_reducing_health_care_costs.

2. —. 56% Favor Delaying Individual Health Care Mandate, 26% Opposed. www.rasmussenreports.com. [Online] Rasmussen Reports, July 12, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/july_2013/56_favor_delaying_individual_health_care_mandate_26_opposed.

3. —. 61% Expect Health Care in U.S. To Get Worse Over Next Two Years. www.rasmussenreports.com. [Online] Rasmussen Reports, July 22, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/archive/health_care_update_archive/july_2013/61_expect_health_care_in_u_s_to_get_worse_over_next_two_years.

4. Kenny, Jack. Supreme Court Sidesteps Commerce Clause, Cites Tax Power, Says ObamaCare Is Constitutional. www.thenewamerican.com. [Online] New American, June 28, 2012. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11897-supreme-court-sidesteps-commerce-clause-cites-tax-power-says-obamacare-is-constitutional.

5. Terkel, Andrea. House GOP To Hold 40th Obamacare Repeal Vote. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, July 26, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/26/40th-obamacare-repeal-vote_n_3660999.html.

6. Boyle, Matthew. EXCLUSIVE–MIKE LEE: DEFUNDING OBAMACARE 'OUR LAST BEST SHOT' TO SAVE U.S. HEALTH CARE. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, July 28, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/28/Exclusive-Mike-Lee-Upcoming-fight-our-last-best-shot-at-stopping-Obamacare.

7. Cowan, David Lawder and Richard. Senate Republicans feud over defunding 'Obamacare'. www.reuters.com. [Online] Reuters News Service, July 30, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/us-usa-fiscal-obamacare-idUSBRE96T18220130730.

8. Boyle, Matthew. EXCLUSIVE--CRUZ: GOP 'TERRIFIED' OF FIGHTING TO DEFUND OBAMACARE. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, July 29, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/29/Exclusive-Cruz-GOP-terrified-of-fighting-to-defund-Obamacare.

9. —. POLL: HISPANICS WANT BORDER SECURITY, INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT BEFORE AMNESTY. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, July 9, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/09/Poll-Hispanics-Enforce-the-law-first-then-deal-with-legalization-in-any-immigration-package.

10. Nolte, Jlhn. POLL: 56% WANT BORDER SECURED BEFORE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, July 24, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/24/poll-56-percent-want-border-security-before-path-to-citizenship.

11. On the Issues. Ronald Reagan on Immigration. www.ontheissues.org. [Online] On the Issues. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Ronald_Reagan_Immigration.htm.

12. Sr., Eyler Robert Coates. The Jeffersonian Perspective. eyler.freeservers.com. [Online] [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://eyler.freeservers.com/JeffPers/jefpco33.htm.

13. Longley, Robert. Why No Term Limits for Congress? The Constitution. usgovinfo.about.com. [Online] about.com, January 30, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/2013/01/30/why-no-term-limits-for-congress-the-constitution.htm.