SCHIP... How To Find Out if Your Member of Congress Supported the Kids

Remember SCHIP? State Children's Health Insurance Program. One-third of all rural children depend upon SCHIP and Medicaid for their health care services. That's six points higher than the rate of enrollment for city kids.

We wrote about SCHIP in 2007 and then again throughout much of this year, as the majority in the House and the Senate supported it, President Bush vetoed twice, and; the House fought diligently (and failed) to over-ride the Bush vetoes. The Carsey Institute has more data about the program.

152 Members of Congress worked diligently to stop our rural children from accessing health care. All too many of these were self-identified proud conservatives who represented rural districts and quite simply, had no shame in their neglect of rural children.

Steve King (R IA-5) who was identified this week as one of the eleven worst members of Congress, in tandem with Virgil Goode (R VA-5) who doesn't have such a hot record himself as he so conveniently failed to vote for even the Farm Bill are two examples of those who neglected their District's children. King's CD is 49.4% rural and Goode's CD is 64% rural. Yet, their voting records look like they haven't even noticed.

Project Vote Smart identified King and Goode's twin voting records as follows:

• NO 1/23/08 SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007 Veto Over-ride Failed House 260-152
• NO 10/25/07 SCHIP Reauthorization HR 3963 Bill Passed House 365 -142
• NO 10/18/07 SCHIP Reauthorization HR 976 Bill Veto Over-ride Failed House 273-156
• NO 9/25/07 SCHIP Reauthorization HR 976 Concurrance Vote Passed House 265-159
• NO 8/1/07 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) HR 3162 Bill Passed House 225-204
  

We've made an example out of Steve King and Virgil Goode because they've consistently failed to vote their District, but we urge you to go to Project Vote Smart and check on your own Representative and Senators ... make sure they did the right thing. In the case of King and Goode, all four of the Senators (Tom Harkin (D IA), Chuck Grassley (R IA), John Warner (R VA) and Jim Webb (D VA) from their home states laid partisanship aside for the good of the children.

PROJECT VOTE SMART

"Sound Ag Policy Vital in This Presidential Race"

Iowa Corn Growers Association President Gary Edwards spoke very clearly today, "It is not our job to tell you who you should vote for or what party you should follow, but it is our duty to stand up to promote the interests of Iowa corn growers, Iowa consumers and their future."

At My Rural America, we believe the same -- very specifically believing that it isn't our job to tell you who you should vote for. However, regarding our nation's policies, we have a little broader outlook, i.e., we believe it is our duty to stand up to promote the interests of rural Americans and their future. We don't endorse candidates here but we do present the voting records while we open the door to ways you can easily access more detailed information. We define "interests of rural Americans" as policies that affect the kitchen tables of rural families. These include :

• Jobs and the economy, including Farm Bill, where we have supported the Farm Bill and watched carefully over what Congress is doing to get our economy back on track and to keep our nation's credit from drying up;
• Health care and education, recognizing that both are necessary if our families are to be strong, resulting in our ongoing effort to support SCHIP, eliminate the doughnut hole in the prescription drug program and offer affordable health care for all;
• National security, where we have consistently shared facts on how rural America is carrying an undue burden as our nation fights the Afghan War and continues the Iraq occupation.

That's why Friday we posted a detailed story about the New GI Bill and who really made it happen, including emphasis on who opposed it, in many cases who actually worked deliberately to stop the Bill. We chose this as our first priority issue to emphasize in the coming weeks because rural citizens make up about 20 percent of U.S. population while our sons and daughters compose about 60 percent of the soldiers serving in these military actions. This undue burden that rural families have carried, and continue to carry, for more than five years is a serious one for our soldiers and our country. We believe that at a minimum we owe a strong package of benefits for those who return home. By scrolling down just past this blog, you can read more detail about The New GI Bill, and also learn more about how to find out the details of your representatives' record on the New GI Bill and other military-related policies.

Another priority issue for My Rural America is the Farm Bill. Consequently, for the first time ever, we are sharing a press release verbatim as it was written by the contributing organization:

DES MOINES, IOWA, October 17, 2008 - The Iowa Corn Growers Association voiced concern over recent public statements and positions that do not support sound agricultural policy in this Presidential race. The ICGA believes Iowa voters should understand the potential impact to Iowa's economy and overall ag stability on those positions.

"It is not our job to tell you who you should vote for or what party you should follow," said Gary Edwards, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association "but it is our duty to stand up to promote the interests of Iowa corn growers, Iowa consumers, and their future."

"In our current economic crunch, the importance of agriculture has never been more obvious." Said Edwards. "Iowa currently has 640 million in cash reserves due to our strong ag industry, not to mention that ethanol has reduced our dependence on foreign oil, lowered gas prices at the pump, stimulated rural America, created millions of green jobs, and lowered federal farm program costs by billions."

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the ethanol industry added nearly 48 billion dollars to the nation's GDP and generated 4.6 billion in federal tax revenues. The production and use of ethanol just last year, cut oil imports by 228 million barrels as a savings of over $16 billion.

"Change is a theme for both presidential campaigns and no matter what happens this November, there will be a change. What we need to do for our corn grower members is to make sure the new President understands the importance of agriculture and agricultural products."

Current Iowa Corn
Growers Association policy positions include:

* Energy Policy: As the first environmentalists, Iowa's corn growers have worked to build market demand for our current viable source for energy independence. The ICGA supports the continuation of the 45 cent per gallon blenders' credit for ethanol, the 54 cent per gallon ethanol import tariff, the federal Renewable Fuels Standard, and other tax incentives for ethanol (such as E85) that will reduce prices at the pump for consumers.

* Farm Bill: In the farm bill, the ICGA supports a safety net for farmers that is based on revenue and not price, which supports production and market demand. ICGA policy supports farm policy that is trade compliant and supports strong conservation programs that protect our environment. ICGA also supports a crop insurance program at rate levels sufficient to induce crop insurance and designed to avoid the need for disaster assistance.

Current Presidential positions include:
Farm Policy
* McCain*: Opposes agricultural subsidies and has stated he would have vetoed the 2008 Farm Bill. Supports trade compliance.
* Obama*: Pledges to support a strong safety net for farmers. Supports crop revenue insurance program and voted for the 2008 Farm Bill. Pledges to support a permanent mechanism to encourage wide use of crop insurance.
Energy
* McCain*: Opposes tariffs and price supports for ethanol. Signed a letter urging the EPA to exercise its authority to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). His presidential platform calls for an end to the RFS.
* Obama*: Pledges to continue the 45 cent blenders' tax credit and maintain the 54 cent tariff on ethanol. Pledges to increase the RFS to 60 million gallons by 2030. Pledges to support maximum funding for the Department of Energy's alternative fuels program, with a focus on E85.

* For a complete listing of the candidates positions see the attached report
card or visit www.iowacorn.org

###

The ICGA is a membership organization, lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its over 6,000 members. ICGA Presidential report card information is based on information gathered from the candidates. Both parties were given equal opportunity to respond to the ICGA survey questions.

Find Out Who Really Supports Our Troops

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has a 2008 Veterans Report Card on line -- interesting because it clearly details this year's votes on issues affecting our veterans, and when you read carefully, it also offers clear documentation about who repeatedly tried to stop support for our veterans and then worked to hide their original votes, i.e., voted against it before they voted for it.

2008 Veterans Report Card

For example, click into your Representative's votes on Senator Jim Webb's New GI Bill, that received strong support in the Senate on the first try, but in the US House took three votes to get it right.

We don't have space to detail every single Member of Congress here on our web page, but you'll find them by clicking Report Card. Then look carefully at the votes because the "grade" that IAVA gives them is sometimes deceiving. For example, we looked at Representative Steve King (R-IA5). King gets a CHECKMARK for voting to support a New GI Bill -- and voting for the New GI Bill is good. However, look more carefully, and you'll see that the documentation actually says:

• A New GI Bill (2nd Vote) YEA 6/19/08 ... (good vote) ... but below it are two more votes
• A Second Rate GI Bill YEA 5/23/08 ... (bad vote) ... and continuing
• A New GI Bill (1st Vote) NEA 5/15/08 ... (bad vote).
  

So yup!! Caught in the act! What King did was try to stop (5/15) the good bill, i.e., the bill supported by IAVA and then he voted (5/23) to support a bill that had much weaker benefits for our vets. Finally, he faced the reality that the Senate had voted consistently to support the New GI Bill so he voted yes when the bill was going to pass in spite of his effort.

In contrast to King's opposition and later "pile on", Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) was consistent in his position, voting twice to support the New GI Bill and also acting as a co-sponsor.

A few notes of caution: Steve King stood with some pretty strong company since he supported both President Bush and Senator John McCain as they opposed the New GI Bill, and both Bush and McCain did all they could to make it a party line vote. However, a quick look at the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania show that some Members and also Senator Barack Obama really did put our soldiers first as they reached across party lines. See below for examples:

VIRGINIA
Voting Consistently YES! Senator John W. Warner (R-VA) and Senator James H. Webb (D-VA) ... each with four consistent votes for Webb's New GI Bill ... were joined by Virginia's three Democratic House members: Robert C. Scott (VA-3); Jim Moran (VA-8) and Rick Boucher (VA-9).

Hiding their vote as they voted NO and NO and finally along-for-the-ride yes! Robert Wittman (VA-1); Thelma Drake (VA-2); J. Randy Forbes (VA-4); Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (VA-5); Bob Goodlatte (VA-6); Eric Cantor (VA-7); Frank R. Wolf (VA-10), and; Tom Davis (VA-11).

PENNSYLVANIA
Votiing consistently YES! Senator's Arlen Specter (R) and Robert P. Casey (D) stood together for our veterans, too, and in the House, the IAVA website gives two Republican House members credit for doing what right, with Phil English (PA-3) and Jim Gerlach (PA-6) getting"A" ratings for their commitment to veterans. And Democrats Robert A. Brady (PA1), Jason Altmire (PA4), Joe Sestak (PA-7), Patrick J. Murphy (PA 8); Christopher P. Carney (PA-10), Allyson Y Schwartz (PA-13), and Tim Holden (PA-17) got it right, each receiving "A+" ratings from IAVA.

Hiding their vote as they voted NO and NO and finally along-for-the-ride yes! All other PA members split with their Senators and opposed the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans' much needed New GI Bill.

See for yourself (all states) at IAVA Report Card.

Agriculture/Food/Rural Policy Platforms of the Presidential Candidates

On October 7, the Farm Foundation utilized their monthly Farm Foundation Forum to host representatives from the Obama and McCain campaigns. Their assignment was to talk about food, agriculture and rural policy in their respective campaigns.

The event -- held at the National Press Club, featured James C. Webster, an Obama Agriculture Advisory Committee member and former USDA Secretary Block, who represented the McCain Campaign. You can listen to the forum at: http://www.farmfoundation.org/news/articlefiles

Originally from South Dakota, Mr. Webster recently retired as the author and founder of the Webster Ag-Letter, a well respected news letter that has documented agriculture, food and rural development policy-making in the US Congress and the Department of Agriculture.

John Block, originally from Illinois, served as Secretary of Agriculture under President Ronald Reagan.

The Farm Foundation, a publicly supported 501 (c)(3), is directed by a Board of Trustees comprised of leaders in production agriculture, related businesses and academia.

Hard Questions About Patriotism and Taxes

Thomas L. Friedman asks a tough question in his 10/8/08 column for the NY Times. Essentially, his question is: Can you love your country but be unwilling to pay the taxes that run it? ... or to put it another way, is it better to borrow money from China to buy the things you want ... or is it better to admit up front that government actions, whether its war-making or road-making takes money ... and money comes (usually) from taxes.

You could call this a conundrum or maybe a Catch 22, but overall, one just has to wonder how anyone running for a major office -- in this case Governor Sarah Palin -- can so lightly throw away all the good things that are paid for by taxes in this country. Here's the way Friedman framed his question:

"Criticizing Sarah Palin is truly shooting fish in a barrel. But given the huge attention she is getting, you can't just ignore what she has to say. And there was one thing she said in the debate with Joe Biden that really sticks in my craw. It was when she turned to Biden and declared: 'You said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic. In the middle class of America, which is where Todd and I have been all of our lives, that's not patriotic.'"

And wisely, Friedman answered her comment/his question, saying, "Sorry, I grew up in a very middle-class family in a very middle-class suburb of Minneapolis, and my parents taught me that paying taxes, while certainly no fun, was how we paid for the police and the Army, our public universities and local schools, scientific research and Medicare for the elderly. No one said it better than Oliver Wendell Holmes: "I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization." Read more here.

So ... we're in the middle of an economic mess and Palin thinks it's better to borrow money from China than for us all to actually pay for what we want our government to do. Well, that lines up with how she and McCain would rather drill for oil -- note here that the U.S. only has five percent of the world's oil -- than invest in technology that over time will put the U.S. on the road to energy independence. More detail is available in "Palin's Kind of Patriotism" by Friedman.

What Farm Leaders Are Saying ...

Jerry Hagstrom, National Journal Ag Reporter, has reported that John McCain's strong opposition to the Farm Bill is still impacting how farm leaders think of McCain.

We're not surprised since we still remember that McCain went to Iowa to proudly urge the President to veto the Farm Bill, and more recently chose Independence, MO to wave the flag of opposition against ethanol and this country's path to energy independence.

Here's what some of the farm leaders are saying:

• Senator Kent Conrad: "... (McCain) has opposed the economic interests of those of us living in rural America."
• House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson, "He (McCain) lacks any clear knowledge or understanding about how agriculture in this country works."
• Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin, "The majority of this farm income safety net has nothing to do with holding up the price of farm commodities and thus the price consumers pay for food."

Meanwhile, House AG Committee Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte refused to comment, and Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss has promised to teach Senator McCain all about agriculture later, i.e., next year.

We think "next year" is going to be a little late.

Economic Pressures and Health Care

We were watching last night's debate, and we "betcha" you were, too. One key difference between McCain and Obama is on health care, so for easy clarification, we recommend re-watching YouTube's "McCain Obama Differ Dramatically on Health Care."

Once you watch, a more substantive view has been offered by Paul Krugman in his recent column "Health Care Destruction" in the 10/6/08 New York Times. The column really is must reading, but Krugman's closing line is particularly scary as he says, "I agree: the McCain plan would do for health care what deregulations has done for banking. And I'm terrified." Read more here.

Count us as terrified, too.

McCain Picks Missouri to Once Again Turn His Back to Rural America

John McCain in Independence, MO this morning:

“And my administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods. These subsidies inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world, and I propose to abolish them.”