By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A small contingent of Crawford County Democrats gathered Thursday in front of the local office of U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins to protest her opposition to the Democrats’ health care bill.
The group staged the event as final action approaches on health care reform in Washington. The Congressional Budget Office released figures Thursday saying that the $940 billion plan would expand insurance to 32 million people and reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over 10 years. The amount of deficit reduction over 20 years is a potential $1.2 trillion. A final vote in the House is expected Sunday.
Jenkins, a Republican, issued a statement from her Washington office in response to the Pittsburg protest.
“While I oppose the Democrats’ current plan because it will cut Medicare, raise taxes and put more health care decisions in the hands of Washington bureaucrats, I absolutely agree our nation’s health care system needs reformed to bring down health care costs for everyone,” she said.
Signs of protest
Seventeen protesters were counted at one point in front of Jenkins’ office in the Hotel Stillwell building. They held signs that read: “Health reform now,” “Honk if you support health reform” and “Did Lynn sell your vote?”
Several motorists greeted the Democrats with honks of support.
“We’re tired of Lynn Jenkins holding this up,” said Harry Humphries, of Pittsburg. “She has voted against everything. What has she done for us?”
Humphries said Jenkins is a far-right-wing Republican who listens only to corporate interests.
“We’re the only country in the advanced world that doesn’t have universal health care,” he said.
Gene Garman, of Pittsburg, a retired postal worker and union member, said millions are without health insurance because they can’t afford it. He said people support fire and police protection with taxes, and he doesn’t mind supporting expanded health care with taxes. He said he thinks Jesus would want to help those without health insurance.
“We are Democrats because we believe in the principle that government serves the people,” Garman said.
Jenkins response
Jenkins in her response also criticized the procedures being pursued by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“With regard to this particular issue, while the people are free to rally and say they either support this legislation or do not, Speaker Pelosi is not allowing members of Congress the same opportunity, but instead is hiding behind procedural rules,” she said.
She referred to the “deem and pass” maneuver that has been discussed; it would allow passage without a roll call vote. Congressional scholar Thomas Mann, writing for Politico, said the procedure was used 36 times by House Republican leadership in 2005 and 2006, and 49 times by the Democratic leadership in 2007 and 2008.
In a YouTube video of a House floor speech this week, Jenkins said the health reform bill includes “massive, job-killing taxes” and allows federal funding of abortions. She labeled it a “$2.5 trillion government takeover of health care.”
Party lines
There are 8,936 registered Democrats, 6,958 Republicans and 6,537 people registered as unaffiliated in Crawford County. In Cherokee County, the numbers are: 4,959 Democrats, 4,770 Republicans and 3,239 unaffiliated. The information is from county clerks’ offices.
