Written by: Jim Hansen
Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The big vote in the US House of Representatives on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was last night. SCHIP is due to expire on Sept. 30 if it is not reauthorized, leaving millions of children without coverage. People all over Idaho were encouraged to call their member of Congress and urge support. Did you call Rep. Simpson? If so, you can take credit for helping him see the light despite President Bush's veto threat.

Rep. Bill Sali voted No, but calls to his office were still demonstrated how out-of-touch he is with the realities of uninsured families in Idaho. Governor Otter urged Congress to reauthorize SCHIP - as have most governors. Both Sali and Simpson voted against an earlier version of the bill last August. The Senate passed a different version in August, too. Craig and Crapo also voted no.

The current bill is a compromise between the House and Senate version but it is closer to the Senate version. Simpson and 44 other Republicans in the House joined with 220 Democrats and SCHIP passed last night by a strong 265-159 vote margin. That's over 60% support, but shy of a veto-proof margin if Bush comes through with his threat. Hopefully, calls to Craig and Crapo will persuade them that kids should take precedence over bullying by the White House.

I have heard too many people who say "oh, my call won't matter; they've already made up their mind." So, when they hear about the need to make calls to a member of Congress or the Legislature on an important vote that's pending, they pass up the chance. I strongly disagree.

First, to make this system of a representative democracy work, not only do we each have a voice, we must act as though we really believe we do and we must use it regularly. The first step to losing our voice is to voluntarily relinquish it. Our constitution puts our right to petition our government right up there in the First Amendment. Second, whether our elected representatives actually hear us or not is not our responsibility. It is theirs. Simply because we perceive that they may not be hearing us does not mean we should not live up to our responsibility to speak to them. By exercising our rights, we strengthen them

On a practical level, I find it quite pleasant to visit with congressional or legislative staff when I call. They take their job seriously and respect that I have called. I have sent e-mails too, but I much prefer to talk to a real person. Hand written letters are far superior to e-mails but often there is not much time between notice of a vote and the actual vote. Making calls and writing letters to your representative are essential habits to get into as a citizen.

Today, I called Simpson's office again. This time to thank him for his vote on SCHIP. That wasn't required but I guess that's how my momma brought me up...

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