Representatives who refuse to answer constituents

As I reported last week about the form letters we get back from our representatives, who have no more of intent to answer a question than to fly to the moon, readers sent me their replies for basic questions they had.

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger was asked by me to submit Rep. Barney Frank to a house ethics committee for his involvement in the Financial Crisis, and his relational involvement with executive Herb Moses from Fannie Mae. If you check the comments on this article, Ruppersberger’s office contacted me and informed me that the reply I got wasn’t about my request, and asked me to comment to that fact, and I did. Today I got the reply about Barney Frank and his involvement in the financial crisis. This was the final reply.

Dear Mr. Ritter:

This letter acknowledges receipt of your communication regarding executive bonuses paid to employees of the American International Group Inc., or AIG.

As you know, AIG awarded top executives $160 million in bonuses just months after receiving $173 billion in taxpayer funds to save the company from the brink of collapse. This use of taxpayer funds is immoral, fiscally irresponsible and downright greedy.

To restore this money to taxpayers, I proudly sponsored legislation that would tax the bonuses given to AIG executives at 100 percent. The AIG Taxpayer Protection Act, or H.R. 1542, directs the Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to develop a plan to tax bonus pay for executives employed by a company that receives funds from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), where the United States government is a majority owner.

The bill was amended to reduce the tax to 90 percent to take into account that state and local governments will likely tax the balance, and to expand the reach of this bonus tax beyond AIG to include any firm that received $5 billion or more in federal assistance through the TARP program. On March 19, 2009, the House overwhelmingly passed my bill by a vote of 328 to 93. It now awaits approval in the Senate.

In addition, I also cosponsored H.R. 1542, or the "Responsible Corporate Executive Compensation Act of 2009." If passed, bonuses awarded to employees of companies receiving even one dollar of TARP funds will be subject to a 95 percent tax regardless of whether or not the United States government is a majority owner. On March 17, 2009, this bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, where it awaits further action.

I believe AIG's actions are absolutely outrageous, and that this situation is a massive distraction from our efforts to get our economy back on track. It is my hope that we can quickly restore this money to the taxpayers and resume our path to recovery.

Sincerely,
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Member of Congress

Now we go to a reply to one of my readers. The question was, "Will you vote YEA on any FINAL reformed health insurance plan that does not include the Legislative and Executive branches of Government as participants? First respondent was Senator Barbara Mikulski.

Dear

Thanks for contacting me about our health care system. It is nice to hear from you.

I absolutely agree with you that our health care system is not meeting the needs of all Americans. Over 46 million Americans are uninsured. Even Americans with health insurance, whether they are current employees or retirees, are seeing their premiums and co-pays rise at a time when they may get fewer benefits. As I travel throughout Maryland, I hear about the tremendous burden health care places on families.

I believe that all Americans should have access to high quality, affordable health care and health insurance coverage. I’m disappointed that efforts to provide healthcare reform have failed. Yet, we can’t just wait for comprehensive reform. That’s why I’m fighting to reduce the number of uninsured Americans and provide coverage to those who need it.

I want you to know I am working hard to make sure that the health care safety net is strong. I am fighting to prevent cuts to hospitals that care for the uninsured, and I will oppose any proposal to block grant or cap federal funding of Medicaid. Block grants, cuts, or caps in Medicaid would mean that some people, who need health care the most, would lose it.

I am also concerned that there are over 12 million children without health insurance. I firmly believe that all children should have access to high quality, affordable health care and insurance coverage.

Medicare plays a vital role as a health care safety net by providing health care coverage to uninsured children. The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which I fought to create in 1997, expanded on the Medicare program to cover children in families with incomes above traditional Medicare eligibility levels. Together these essential programs provide health care to more than 20 million children. But there is more that must be done to ensure every child has access to care regardless of their family’s wealth.

That’s why I’m fighting so that states have the resources they need to continue covering these children. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Keep Children Covered Act. This important legislation would eliminate the funding shortfall from the SCHIP program that many states, including Maryland, are facing this year. Without these funds, states may be forced to cut enrollment, and many children now participating in the Maryland SCHIP program could lose their health coverage and become uninsured. Unfortunately this legislation was not considered before the 110^th congress was adjourned. Knowing of your support for this bill will be helpful should it be reintroduced in the 111^th congress.

We must make it easier for all Americans to have affordable health insurance at any age. You can be sure I will continue to fight for a stronger American health care system and for affordable health care for all.

Again thanks for contacting me. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you in the future.

Barbara A. Mikulski

United States Senator

The next reply was for the same question, but this time from Sen. Ben Cardin

Dear

Thank you for contacting me about the need for universal health coverage.

Expanding health care access and coverage to all Americans is one of our most pressing domestic policy issues. This year the number of uninsured people in America has reached an estimated 47 million, or one in every 5 people under 65. In Maryland, 16% of the population remains uninsured. The vast majority are members of working families, and their lack of insurance forces millions of them to go without needed care.

With such a large percentage of Americans uninsured, our nation’s public health status is at risk. We have a moral and practical obligation to address this crisis, in which I support universal coverage that would save lives and make American’s healthier, reduce health care costs, and promote better quality care.

I believe the best option for universal coverage is to expand employer based coverage. This would build on the structure of our current health care system, providing the opportunity for our employers and small businesses to be involved in providing health care to their employees. Employee benefit from group rates and more affordable coverage, and employees benefit from having a healthier, better cared for workforce.

In addition, we need to continue to shore up public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, which provide coverage to America’s seniors and poor, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which was created in 1997 to provide coverage to America’s uninsured children and today insures more than 6.8 million children and pregnant women. Thanks in part to these programs, the percentage of children without coverage has declined in recent years.

Finally, I understand that providing insurance coverage means little if it is not comprehensive. Immoderately high deductibles, or unreasonably low lifetime cap on benefits can mean inadequate coverage. Reducing the ranks of the uninsured is also meaningless without true patient protections. During the 111^th Congress, I will urge my colleagues to pass a strong, enforceable patient’s bill of rights that includes independent review procedures for those who are denied treatment by their insurance plans.

Sincerely

Benjamin Cardin

United States Senator

The replies are so laughable; I invite every constituent to email them about a subject that is near and dear to your heart and just see what kind of moronic reply you get to your commonsense question.