NH's Carol Shea-Porter Votes to Pass Health Care Bill
The Health Care Reform Bill Passed Today with the Support of Both NH Representatives
Carol Shea-Porter's Health Care Bill Vote No Secret
Both of New Hampshire's House of Representatives members are Democrats, while the Granite State is represented in the United States Senate by one Democrat and one Republican. Carol Shea-Porter has made no secret of her support for the bill and does not run from association with such nationally unpopular fellow Democrats as Nancy Pelosi. Just two weeks ago, on March 5, Pelosi visited nearby Boston to help raise funds for Carol Shea-Porter, and the two were met by vociferous Tea Party demonstrators who denounced Shea-Porter and Pelosi for their support of the Health Care Reform Bill, as detailed in a Boston Globe report.
Carol Shea-Porter's Approval Ratings
Her vote on Sunday's Health Care Reform Bill is unlikely to have any further effect on her chances of being re-elected because her position has been clear and she has unashamedly been a vocal advocate of Health Care Reform Bill from early on. Porter's approval ratings according to University of New Hampshire (UNH) polling, has hovered around the 40 percent mark for most of the last four years. Currently, the UNH poll shows her running at just 32 percent approval, roughly matching two other low points in her history, September 2007 and July 2008. The difference today, however, is that Carol Shea-Porter's unfavorable rating is running higher than it has ever been and, indeed, higher than her approval rating.
New Hampshire's Democratic Governor Lynch Remains Popular
New Hampshire has voted largely Democratic in recent years and our Democratic governor, John Lynch, remains very popular with a 63 percent favorability rating, according a UNH poll from February of 2010. Governor Lynch maintains a very high visibility in the state, often visiting local businesses, including Russound FMP in Newmarket, NH, while I worked there a couple years ago. Governor Lynch's continued popularity shows that the anger of New Hampshire voters does not seem specifically directed at all things Democrat, or perhaps that allowing local voters to get to know one better is a reliable buffer against national political sentiments.
Lack of a Job is Curable, Lack of Health Care Can be Fatal
As a voter in New Hampshire's District 1, my votes will be cast in favor of those who supported the Health Care Reform Bill. I believe that ensuring that all families, regardless of their income levels, have access to affordable health care is one of the most important issues of our time. The economy moves in cycles and while it is down today and does require urgent attention, we know that it will get better. The same cannot be said for those who face life-threatening illness without insurance or with insurance that denies needed benefits.
Sources:
Carol Shea-Porter. Health Care. Retreived from http://www.shea-porter.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=1 on March 21, 2010.
Ebbert, Stephanie. Tea Party activists protest at Pelosi event in Boston. March 5, 2010. Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/03/tea_party_activ.html on March 21, 2010.
Smith, Andrew E. GOP Prospects Looking Good in NH Congressional, Senate Races. February 8, 2010. UNH/ WMUR.Retrieved fromhttp://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2010_winter_congapp20810.pdf on March 21, 2010.
Smith, Andrew E. Lynch Approval Ratings Slip Slightly, Jobs and Economy Top Concerns. February 9, 2010. UNH/WMUR. Retrieved from http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2010_winter_govapp20910.pdf on March 21, 2010.
Published by Brad Sylvester - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Brad spent 18 years in the consumer electronics industry, including more than ten years in new product development. He now writes full time from his home in the mountains of New Hampshire. View profile
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9 Comments
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Go on Carol, go on Obama, well done Brad, soon the States will be like Britain. Best thing ever NHS.
When the new health care system runs out of money people will be left untreated and die. I hope I am wrong but I am not.
I had to come back again to this one. The answers about the health care bill will be answered in time. I am hoping it will ultimately weigh in favor of positive health care reforms and quality medical care for everyone. Those who can't afford health insurance suffered. As one who has health insurance, I know we didn't always get what we paid for. Treatments were deemed "experimental" which should have been routine and necessary to save lives and cure diseases. But the truth will come in time and the citizens of the country will ultimately decide if they feel the bill was a good move or a bad one. It takes time to see how things pan out for each person and then (as a group) push for changes - or not.
D.K., People without insurance often wait to seek mediacla care (because of the expense) until they need urgent or emergency room care for a condition that could have been more easily and cheaply treated if they had preventative or early care. If the cost of a Lexus went up at the same rate as health care insurance premiums, no one would buy a Lexus. 20-40% increases in a single year are dragging down our economy and costing us jobs. Insurance companies that drop people who have paid premiums for years once they get sick, and who view a patient who dies early as a cost savings need to be prevented from these excesses. The new health care bill does that.
A great moment for the country!
What is sad to see is that a lot of Americans do not see health coverage for all Americans as important as money. The spitting the racial slurs the threats of violence tells me we need to do a lot of soul searching and maybe change what is considered the American dream.
Excellent coverage! It is so interesting to read the reports from writers from various states. I wish that there was more agreement between Democrats and Republicans. It was sad to see such strong splits in the voting on Sunday night.
I love your last breaker. Great coverage.