GOP Reps. John Campbell and Dana Rohrabacher Criticize Pelosi over Health Care Vote

Irvine, Calif. -- Watching CNN's live coverage of H.R. 3590, it was impossible not to think about the now-classic "Schoolhouse Rock" segment called "I'm Just a Bill." Like that song says, H.R. 3590, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been sitting on Capitol Hill for a while, waiting to become a law. On Sunday, March 21, H.R. 3590 took one giant step closer to its goal, despite very passionate pleas from House Republicans to kill it.

Living at Health Care Reform Ground Zero

As a newly-minted resident of the beleaguered state of California, I have been living near "Health Care Reform Ground Zero" for the last four months. Representing the 8^th Congressional District in California, Congresswoman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been the driving force behind the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for quite some time.

After 40-plus years in Missouri, I now live in Irvine, which sits on the edge of California's 48^th Congressional District, which is represented by Congressman John Campbell. Not surprisingly, Campbell joined fellow Republican Representatives in voting against H.R. 3590 on March 21, primarily because he believes, as do other Republicans, that this Act could put future generations in hock.

For those of us living in Southern California, John Campbell is a pretty interesting character. He keeps constituents up-to-date with his "Green Eyeshades Blog," an appropriate name given that Campbell is a member of the House Financial Services Committee (green eyeshades have been used by accountants to lessen eyestrain).

A few hours before the historic H.R. 3590 vote on March 21, Campbell criticized the arrogance of Speaker of the House Pelosi and other Democrats as they walked through protestors on Capitol Hill. In the months leading up to the vote on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Campbell has been extremely consistent in his opinion that the government control combined with higher taxes makes H.R. 3590 a fiscal mistake.

Congressman Rohrabacher uses the term "odious" in regards to H.R. 3590

California's 46^th District is served by Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who, like Congressman Campbell, is not happy that H.R. 3590 squeaked through the House of Representatives. In a statement following the vote, Campbell said he didn't know what was more odious, the government takeover of health care or the backroom dealings.

Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act: The Aftermath

The passion and posturing of both Democratic and Republican Representatives on Sunday evening also reminded me of the final scenes in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Unfortunately, 21^st century politics are a far cry from a Jimmy Stewart movie, and Americans will have to live with the consequences of H.R. 3590, both good and bad, as soon as President Barack Obama signs this new legislation into law.

Throughout the whole painful Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act debate, Congressmen Campbell and Rohrabacher have been acting in the best interests of the people of California by sticking to their guns. It would have been all too easy to fall in line behind Speaker of the House Pelosi, but these two Representatives are trying to do what's best for California residents like me. In the event that H.R. 3590 is a huge disaster, we definitely can count on John Campbell to roll up his sleeves, slip on his green eyeshade and try to help.

Resources:

http://healthbill2010.info/

NYTimes.com, "House Health Bill Revisions Online," David M. Herszenhorn

http://www.house.gov/pelosi/

http://campbell.house.gov/

http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/house/2/165