Roskam is failing the middle class
Because my constituents need it - those were the words of the lone Republican Congressman, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, to vote for the health care reform bill.
It must not have been easy, as RNC Chairman Michael Steele has now said, "We are going after him."
Unfortunately, the representative for Illinois' 6th congressional district, Peter Roskam, is probably one of the RNC's favorites and rarely, if ever, casts votes "because my constituents need it."
He continues game-playing of the Republican party, even wearing handcuffs during the health care debate, stating the same old tired lines that we know are untrue and are just said to scare people about health care reform.
His only agenda is for President Obama to fail. He doesn't get that if the President fails, we all fail.
Congressman Roskam voted not to extend unemployment benefits; he voted not to expand the food stamps program (including the program that provides free breakfasts and lunches for poor children); and now he voted no for health care reform.
His lack of empathy is revolting and cowardly. The MiddleClass.org, which tracks the records of Congress to determine how friendly their votes are toward the middle class, gave him an F for 2007, a D for 2008, and for 2009 year-to-date, he is tracking at a 14 percent rate for votes affecting the middle class that will probably end up as an F for 2009.
In case he hasn't noticed, the unemployment rate in Illinois is over 10 percent, with people losing insurance along with their jobs every day. Congressman, we need unemployment benefits, we need the food stamp programs, we need insurance and we need someone who cares about us more than insurance companies and political party politics. If you can't figure that out, we need to get rid of you.
Joanne Giovenco
Schaumburg