Segmeted representation on health-care reform

By Carol Gee

Legislators are generally beholden to a number of constituencies, including just plain citizens. But far too often loyalties lie with other segments of constituents, such as lobbyists, party and other special interests. Thus my interests go unrepresented unless I belong to a special interest group. In the case of health care reform legislation, my Republican senators and Republican U.S. Representative ignore my needs. The Democratic Party, my party is split into liberals and conservatives. I often feel left out of the Blue Dogs' stance. I cannot afford a lobbyist. But I do belong to some special interest groups: Democracy for America, Organizing for America, Social Workers, and the AARP. And I am a part of the liberal blogosphere community.

So who will represent me in this? All my special interest groups are doing a good job so far, but their power is limited. For example, DFA's Howard Dean has been unflagging in his optimism regarding the future of truly comprehensive health care reform that includes a public option. But he is not in the inner circle of legislative power. Thank goodness, however, he has been seen smiling and firmly pro-reform on several TV news shows recently including Rachel Maddow on the night of August 20. Rachel's tweet cited a recent poll supporting the public option that Dean referenced during his interview.

The group at the fulcrum of change right now numbers 6. The only committee with work left to do is the Senate Finance Committee. What they are considering is some sort of nonprofit cooperative as the public option. The six "negotiators" plan to meet occasionally during the recess. And these senators represent only a very small number of the American people. Following are the 2008 estimated state population figures along with the percentage of the total U.S. population (source Wikipedia). The senators include:

• Finance CommitteeChairman Max Baucus (D-Montana, Est. pop: 967,440 - .31%)
• Charles Grassley (R-Iowa, Est. pop: 3,002,555 -.98%)
• Mike Enzi (R-Wyo, Est. pop: 532,668 - .17%)
• Olympia Snowe (R-Maine, Est. pop: 1,316,456 - .43%
• Kent Conrad (D-N.Dakota, Est. pop: 641,481 - .21%)
• Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mex., Est. pop: 1,984,356 - .64%).

These figures total only 8,444,956 people or 2.74% of the total estimated population of the entire United States and its territories. By sheer force of numbers, not to mention politics, there is no way these six could be considered to be representative of all of us or our wishes. First I do not live in any of these states and second, nor does 97.26% of the rest of you.

The House of Representatives' position right now is the closest match to my own views on what reform should look like. Here, courtesy of Michael J.W. Stickings' tweet, is a Bloomberg story on what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning when Congress comes back into session. To quote: "U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't be able to pass health-care legislation in her chamber if the measure doesn't include a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers."

So now we wait for Congress to come back in session. We wait for the next report of a disrupted town-hall meeting. We wait for President Obama's next speech to clear up misrepresentations put out by other special interest groups. We wait for Labor Day. And we wait to see what the Senate leadership will decide about legislative tactics that will get us health care reform without the Republicans participating. How about a cool drink while we wait?

(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)