Post by Tim Collins on Mar 19, 2010 6:51:29 GMT -7
Congressman Reyes is ranked 196th in seniority in the House of Representatives, 106th among Democrats. As stated on his official web page,
"Congressman Silvestre Reyes serves as the influential Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the first Hispanic American in U.S. history to lead the committee. The committee drafts the laws that govern, fund, and oversee the 16 agencies that comprise the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and other executive branch departments and agencies.
Congressman Reyes is also a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the primary committee responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DOD). "
By his own words in the following article, "Reyes said the need for reform is urgent because about 230,000 people in his district do not have health insurance. " he clearly knows this is a major issue for those he swore to represent.
And yet, ""I recognize this is not the perfect bill, but it starts the process," Reyes said. "I believe the right vote is to vote for the reform."
Reyes said the House version of the bill that passed last year was a better piece of legislation because it gave health insurance to more people. But the Senate rejected that measure."
Why, given his seniority, powerful committee positions, and vast legislative experience, was he not involved in the drafting, or amending of this bill. Why did he accept the rejection by the senate, and settling for a less than perfect bill?
As a constituent, I expect more. I expected him to leverage his position and experience to DEMAND a seat at the table when this process began, not, as he said at the Bowie HS town hall meeting, to stay on the sidelines because he was NOT INVITED to the table when this bill was being written in the summer of 2009.
We deserve more proactive representation, not a passenger in the car of Congress.
www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_14705684
El Paso area congressmen ready to vote yes on health care overhaul
By Adriana Gómez Licón \ El Paso Times
Posted: 03/19/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Two Democratic congressmen who represent the El Paso region said they would vote for the health care bill unveiled Thursday by their party.
U.S. Reps. Silvestre Reyes and Ciro Rodriguez, both Democrats, said they would support the bill when the House votes on Sunday.
Reyes, of El Paso, said he has pushed for expansion of health coverage for his constituents, a majority being Hispanics earning low wages and lacking health insurance. He said he is following through on a promise he made months ago to support President Barack Obama's push for health care reform.
"I recognize this is not the perfect bill, but it starts the process," Reyes said. "I believe the right vote is to vote for the reform."
Reyes said the House version of the bill that passed last year was a better piece of legislation because it gave health insurance to more people. But the Senate rejected that measure.
Reyes said the need for reform is urgent because about 230,000 people in his district do not have health insurance.
Nationally, his district has the 11th-highest percentage of uninsured people, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a government watchdog group.
After reviewing the final bill on Thursday, Rodriguez, of San Antonio, said he would vote for it, too. He represents a small part of El Paso.
In Rodriguez's district, about 183,000 people, or 23.7 percent, do not have health insurance, according to 2008 Census Bureau statistics.
Gov. Rick Perry conducted a telephone town hall Thursday night to try to persuade voters to call the offices of Reyes and Rodriguez and ask them to vote against the bill.
Perry said the legislation would cost Texas $24 billion over the next decade and would dissuade students from entering the medical profession.
He said that to sustain legislation that would insure more people, the state would have to cut $2.5 billion annually or raise taxes.
Reyes had a tart reply, saying he did not need Perry's advice on the health care needs of his district.
"He can save his dime," Reyes said of the governor's intervention.
Adriana Gómez Licón may be reached at agomez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6129.
Austin Bureau reporter Zahira Torres contributed to this story.
"Congressman Silvestre Reyes serves as the influential Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the first Hispanic American in U.S. history to lead the committee. The committee drafts the laws that govern, fund, and oversee the 16 agencies that comprise the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and other executive branch departments and agencies.
Congressman Reyes is also a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the primary committee responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DOD). "
By his own words in the following article, "Reyes said the need for reform is urgent because about 230,000 people in his district do not have health insurance. " he clearly knows this is a major issue for those he swore to represent.
And yet, ""I recognize this is not the perfect bill, but it starts the process," Reyes said. "I believe the right vote is to vote for the reform."
Reyes said the House version of the bill that passed last year was a better piece of legislation because it gave health insurance to more people. But the Senate rejected that measure."
Why, given his seniority, powerful committee positions, and vast legislative experience, was he not involved in the drafting, or amending of this bill. Why did he accept the rejection by the senate, and settling for a less than perfect bill?
As a constituent, I expect more. I expected him to leverage his position and experience to DEMAND a seat at the table when this process began, not, as he said at the Bowie HS town hall meeting, to stay on the sidelines because he was NOT INVITED to the table when this bill was being written in the summer of 2009.
We deserve more proactive representation, not a passenger in the car of Congress.
www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_14705684
El Paso area congressmen ready to vote yes on health care overhaul
By Adriana Gómez Licón \ El Paso Times
Posted: 03/19/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Two Democratic congressmen who represent the El Paso region said they would vote for the health care bill unveiled Thursday by their party.
U.S. Reps. Silvestre Reyes and Ciro Rodriguez, both Democrats, said they would support the bill when the House votes on Sunday.
Reyes, of El Paso, said he has pushed for expansion of health coverage for his constituents, a majority being Hispanics earning low wages and lacking health insurance. He said he is following through on a promise he made months ago to support President Barack Obama's push for health care reform.
"I recognize this is not the perfect bill, but it starts the process," Reyes said. "I believe the right vote is to vote for the reform."
Reyes said the House version of the bill that passed last year was a better piece of legislation because it gave health insurance to more people. But the Senate rejected that measure.
Reyes said the need for reform is urgent because about 230,000 people in his district do not have health insurance.
Nationally, his district has the 11th-highest percentage of uninsured people, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a government watchdog group.
After reviewing the final bill on Thursday, Rodriguez, of San Antonio, said he would vote for it, too. He represents a small part of El Paso.
In Rodriguez's district, about 183,000 people, or 23.7 percent, do not have health insurance, according to 2008 Census Bureau statistics.
Gov. Rick Perry conducted a telephone town hall Thursday night to try to persuade voters to call the offices of Reyes and Rodriguez and ask them to vote against the bill.
Perry said the legislation would cost Texas $24 billion over the next decade and would dissuade students from entering the medical profession.
He said that to sustain legislation that would insure more people, the state would have to cut $2.5 billion annually or raise taxes.
Reyes had a tart reply, saying he did not need Perry's advice on the health care needs of his district.
"He can save his dime," Reyes said of the governor's intervention.
Adriana Gómez Licón may be reached at agomez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6129.
Austin Bureau reporter Zahira Torres contributed to this story.