Finally, a response!

As the Health Care Reform Bill was being debated, I contacted my Senators and Congressional Representative to indicate my support for the measure.  I was very promptly informed by my Senators that they were in support of the bill. No response from my Representative. My note to her also referred to the appalling behavior of the protesters who swore and spit at the elected officials as they entered the Capitol to vote on the bill.

Today, April 13, I received the following email from my Representative, Michele Bachmann:

 

April 13, 2010 

 Dear (XXXX),

 Thank you for informing me of your support for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Your thoughts on this important matter are most welcome and appreciated.

As you know, on September 17, 2009, Representative Charles Rangel (NY) introduced H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  As enacted, H.R. 3590 will: 

 ·    Require almost all American citizens to obtain government-approved health insurance.  To enforce this mandate on the American people, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will utilize as many as 16,500 new agents to assist in fining American families that refuse to purchase government-approved insurance by up to $2,250 or two percent of their income;

 ·    Establish the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute which will be used to ration health care and make one-size-fits-all judgments on treatments deemed too expensive;

 ·    Levy over $569 billion ($569,000,000,000) in taxes upon American citizens and businesses, including a 40 percent tax on privately held “high-cost”, high-benefit health insurance plans;

 ·    Prohibit the construction of physician-owned hospitals (POHs) after 2010;

 ·    Create a government-operated long-term care insurance program that would automatically enroll individuals unless they choose to opt-out.;

 ·    Penalize Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) owners who utilize their accounts to purchase over-the-counter medicine;

 ·    Permit direct, federal funding of abortion in roughly 1,250 community health centers;

 ·    Cut Medicare reimbursements for seniors needing diagnostic imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT scans); and

 ·    Cut Medicare reimbursements for seniors’ home health care by $400 million in Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11). 

 Nevertheless, on December 24, 2009, the Senate passed H.R. 3590 by a vote of 60-39.  Despite my opposition, on March 21, 2010, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3590 by a vote of 219-212, notwithstanding strong bi-partisan opposition.  On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed H.R. 3590 into law.

 In the meantime, rest assured your support for H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will be well remembered during the 111th Congress.  Again, thank you for contacting me and for all you do for our community and country.  Should you have any further comments or questions on this or any other issue, please contact me at the Woodbury or St. Cloud/Waite Park district office or the Washington, DC office.

 Sincerely,

Michele Bachmann
Member of Congress
 

I find this response peculiar in so many ways!  First, Rep. Bachmann claimed that she had not received any constituent contact in support of the bill.  I guess that was wrong, as she is now acknowledging that at least I (one of her constituents) did support it. 

As you will note, it has been nearly a month since I notified her of my opinion.  I imagine that her supporters received a response long ago.  How long do you think that it took for her staff to write this?

Second, I find the tone very threatening:  “Rest assured, your support…..will be well remembered….” Personally,  her non-support is even more memorable to me.

Third, the “facts” that she sets out about the bill are statements clearly designed to set off the most rabid Republican conservative base, as it refers to “rationing of health care”, federal funding of abortions, and implies that the IRS will track them down.  How insulting.

Oh, and by the way, note that this response does not in any way refer to the behavior that her “tea party” minions exhibited against her colleagues as they were about to vote.

As I have repeatedly stated, my husband and I are considering moving. Out of this district.  I am so frustrated at being “represented” by someone who is so far out at the right-wing fringe.  I will be seeking a place of reason and progressivism. What a relief that will be…………..

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