"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Abraham Lincoln, June 1865
Today the United States of America is not a country torn apart by slavery. Our government, however, is fractured. For the most part, our Representatives do not represent the constituents in their districts. These Congressmen, both Democrat and Republican, are simply serving their political parties for the betterment of their political careers. They are not serving the citizens of the United States of America.
Let's look at the recent stimulus package vote in the United States House of Representatives. Currently their are 433 members of Congress consisting of 255 Democrats and 178 Republicans. The results of the stimulus package vote in the House was 246 members voted for and 183 members voted against this bill. One Congressman, Lipinski (D-IL), voted "Present." Three Congressmen, Campbell (R-CA), Clyburn (D-SC), and Lee (R-NY), did not vote.
While 246 Democrats voted for the stimulus bill, seven Democrats voted against it (Bright-AL, DeFazio-OR, Griffith-AL, Minnick-ID, Peterson-MN, Shuler-NC, Taylor-MS). ALL voting Republican Congressmen, 176 of them, voted against this bill. For the most part, all of the Democrats voted for and all of the Republicans voted against this bill.
How can this kind of vote take place in our US Congress and those elected believe they have voted the will of the constituents in their districts? If you randomly stopped 10 people on the street in each of our 50 states and asked them if they were for or against the stimulus package, what kind of answers would you receive? On a smaller scale, simply poll ten of your friends.
Now, think about it - how could 176 individuals all vote the same way? Or, how could 246 of 253 individuals all vote for something? These Congressmen voted with their parties, not with the American people. Had they voted as their electing districts would have wanted, we would see differing votes inside of each party. Our House of Representatives is "a house divided."
Herein lies the problem with our elected Congressmen. They are out of touch with what is going on in their districts and the people they represent. Times are tough for everyone. If the wealthy aren't spending or investing and those in the middle class are fighting to find jobs or keep jobs while struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, then America's poor are in a daily struggle to just survive.
Here's a clue: the middle class and poor of America DO NOT CARE if their Congressman is a Democrat or Republican. We are Americans, not Democrats or Republicans. We need representation that matches our needs, opinions and values. Most of these Americans don't even know the name of their elected Congressman. We need to change this situation. We need to know who they are and how they are representing us. We elected them, they need to represent us.
If you don't know who your Congressman is, click here: http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml. In the upper left hand corner of the web page you will see "Find your Representative." In the blank below "Find your Representative," type in your Zip Code - you will need the first five digits and the "+ 4" digits - you can get these "+ 4" digits off of any bill mailed to your home address. Once you have entered your Zip Code, click "go" for the name, party affiliation and your Congressional District. Click on your Congressman's name to go to his or her House of Representatives web page.
On his or her web page, you can find a wealth of information including how to contact your Congressman in-person, by phone, by e-mail or by mail. You can also get a really good feel for whether your Congressman is working for you or against you by visiting their congressional web page.
Once you have your Congressman's name, you can find out how he or she has represented you. If you want to know how your Congressman voted on the recent stimulus bill (HR1) click here: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll070.xml and find your Congressman's name under the Yeas, Nays, Present or NV (Not Voting).
The recent stimulus bill is the first of many spending bills which will be considered by Congress in the coming months. To check the votes on future House Bills, after the bill has passed or failed, click here: http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.html. Under "Roll Call Votes" click on the 111th Congress. As you look down the list of bills which have been voted on, find your bill and click on the appropriate "Roll" number to find the roster of votes. You can also click on the "HR" number on this page to read entire bills if you are so inclined and have lots of time and mental fortitude.
Please get involved with your Representative and let them know how you would like them to vote on issues affecting you. If they are not voting for you and your needs by representing you, come the next Election Day, it might be time for you to find someone else to better serve you in Washington.
We are not a nation divided. We are the UNITED States of America.
