We attended F. James Sensenbrenner's town hall meeting last night. It was unlike the usual sparsely attended gatherings dominated by his approving base. This time the large meeting room was filled to overflowing, mainly because supporters of health care reform fired up from the rally in Milwaukee converged on Menomonee Falls. Many brought signs like "dying for health care reform" and "Ozaukee County is fed up with the status quo."
Sensenbrenner lied and blustered his way through the questions. He stated that our representatives are elected to sift through the information and decide what is best. (In other words, don't pay attention to what the large majority of voters want.) Members of Congress are accountable because they have to face the voters for re-election every two years. (Except the many like himself who rarely have serious opposition in a gerrymandered district.) In answering a question about federal employee health insurance, he said there are about 400 plans to choose from and if you want a Cadillac plan you would pay more than for a Saturn plan. (What about the rusty Yugo plans that some of us have to put up with?) Indicating that they also feel the pinch, he stated that the most popular plan among Congress members costs them $4,000 per year in payroll deductions. (Those in the individual market pay two or three times more for plans that cover less. Don't forget that members of Congress make $174,000 per year.)
He misstated the Obama plan as making it illegal to enroll new employees (including newly elected officials) in an employer's insurance plan after passage of the law. (Wrong! This is Michele Bachmann's famous "page 16" lie. New employees would enroll in plans under the new requirements concerning pre-existing conditions and other regulations in the law.) He brought out the tired canard about waiting months for an MRI in Canada. According to him, so-called tort reform limitations on lawsuits would bring down medical costs dramatically. In his opinion, a tax credit to help with paying for health insurance is the way to go. (Would that help the people who don't have to pay any tax because of their huge medical deductions?) He repeatedly railed against government bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor. (This brought on groans and laughs from the audience; they understand the insurance bureaucracy too well.)
Sensenbrenner trotted out the Republican talking point that we should slow down the process because Congress needs more time to study such an important bill. (That would be unlike the PATRIOT Act, which members were not allowed to read before voting?) He complained that Democrats were not acting in a bipartisan way. Interestingly, he pointed out that the Democrats have a large margin in the House and a 60-40 margin in the Senate, and they don't need Republicans to pass a health bill.
The session was quite frustrating but definitely worthwhile. No one changed Sensenbrenner's mind or got through to him how ordinary people are struggling with the current health care system. But it was nice to watch him having to respond to challenges he surely wasn't expecting when he woke up that morning.
