Congress: Reppin' Your Interests on Capitol Hill

News of the proposed economic bailout plan has dominated headlines for weeks, offering a respite from campaign-specific coverage. Carl Hulse and Robert Pear of the New York Times did a commendable job writing about the complicated financial situation and the political motivations of Congressmen and women in voting for or against the proposed legislation (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/business/02bailout.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp). They interviewed both Democrats and Republicans who favored and opposed the bailout plan, all the while explaining the terms of the agreement so that average citizens could understand the often confusing fiscal situation.

Since the bill was defeated in the House of Representatives on Monday, the Senate will now make alterations and vote. Some members of the media, such as BBC World News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7645882.stm, have predicted that the similar legislation will pass in the Senate because only two-thirds of Senators are up for re-election this year. Essentially, this implies that senators will be more likely to pass controversial legislation because they need not worry about approval ratings and popularity amongst the masses. Members of the House, however, must weigh their options carefully as they think to Nov. 4. As Hulse and Pear write, Congressmen and women are paying closer attention to their voters' stances on this issue than in other legislative matters:

"On the morning after the sell-off on Wall Street, Congressional offices reported a shift in angry calls from constituents, with some now demanding that lawmakers take some corrective action — a distinct change from the outpouring of public opposition that contributed to the defeat of the plan."

Instead of passing the legislation to the Congressional body that is less responsive to constituents at the moment, why don't politicians actually heed public opinion? Congressmen and women are supposed to reflect the interests of their constituents; after all, they are called "representatives." They should always base their decisions on public opinion, not just in election years. I refuse to criticize politicians for worrying about their popularity, since their job is to please the general public. Their votes on the bailout bill might have been influenced by selfish motives, but at least they considered public reaction to the legislation. The issue is not that the members of the House defeated a bill because they did not think their voters would approve of the measures; the real problem is that representatives do not consistently act with their constituents' interests in mind.