Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson Tracker

Watch What the Left Hand is Doing

Congresswoman Emerson: Oversight Please

Since Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson says she is a conservative Republican - here is her chance to be one. On the Recovery.gov site it shows some of those wonderful created or saved jobs for Missouri. There are a few problems with the list - for instance, it lists a non-existent 14th Congressional District where 5 jobs were "saved" at a cost of $617,848. Yes, that's right your government saved 5 jobs in a non-existent Congressional District for a mere $123,569.60 per "job". Now, if we could just find those workers.

When Congresswoman Emerson has got to the bottom of that "unsolved mystery", perhaps she could explain why it cost $315,786,790 to save 415.7 jobs. And who is the lucky person who got seven-tenths of a job? Cost per job for the 415.7 jobs? A mere $759,650.68 for each job. What a bargain. Shoot, I'd luck the salary for one of those "saved" jobs.

I would expect a conservative Republican like Jo Ann Emerson will be all over this government waste - maybe even fraud and abuse. I expect her to call for an investigation. While she is at it, Congresswoman Emerson might explain to the voters of Missouri's 8th Congressional District why she voted twice for TARP, voted for Cash for Clunkers, voted additional money for Cash for Clunkers, and why she voted for the 450 Billion pork-laden omnibus bill.

I'm sure it's all just a mistake and our conservative Congressional representative can clear all of this up for us. Right?

Congresswoman Emerson Opposes Health Care Reform for Wrong Reasons

I recently wrote Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson a letter opposing H.R. 3200 - Nancy Pelosi's Health Care Reform package that was approved in the House of Representatives 220-215 on a Saturday night. While Representative Emerson opposed H.R. 3200, her reasons for doing so were not very reassuring.

From her letter in reply:

Instead the final proposals [for health care reform] are likely to include a public option for government-sponsored insurance coverage which will compete with the private market. I continue to oppose that idea because it threatens to separate millions of Americans from their existing private coverage.

Notice in her reply are no mentions of the following:

  • The public option represents a massive government takeover of our health care system
  • The public option would likely not just separate Americans from their insurance, but destroy the private insurance industry and replace it with a government monopoly
  • Government run health care, as in education, Medicare, Medicaid, etc., will result in higher rather than lower costs
  • Government run health care would heap unfunded mandates on the individual states
  • Government run health care would represent a further erosion of state sovereignty by forcing state insurance regulations to comply with national government schemes
  • Pelosi's health care reform plan is unconstitutional because it forces individuals to purchase insurance whether they want it or not
  • Pelosi's health care reform plan represents intergenerational theft on a massive scale by forcing younger workers to pay a high price for health care so they money can be spent on older beneficiaries
  • Health care reform represents yet another program our citizens and government cannot afford - with 60-100 trillion, or more, in unmet promises to citizens already, the national government should not be creating yet another government program
Instead, Emerson advocates for prescription drug reform:

Meaningful reform of the name-brand prescription drug industry is entirely absent from these proposals, and billions of dollars in saving for patients and taxpayers have been left out of the bill.

Of course, Congresswoman Emerson could have pointed out that employer-based insurance was the result of President Franklin Roosevelt's wage and price control scheme. Additionally, programs such as Medicare and Medicaid - in combination with state insurance regulation schemes - have effectively destroyed the free market in health care, prescription drugs, etc. By hiding costs, government scheme has fueled excessive demand for medical care, which inflates cost. If competition in insurance across state lines was put in place, costs would fall. If health savings accounts were more widely used and patients demanded to know the costs of their health care, this would also go a long way toward controlling costs.

Tort Reform limiting the amount awarded in lawsuits for pain and suffering could also be beneficial by lowering doctors' cost of doing business.

These, and many other arguments could have been made by Representative Jo Ann Emerson. However, they weren't. For a "conservative" Republican, Emerson sure looks to government often to solve our problems. 

Upcoming News and Site

I have been in the process of researching several new articles about Jo Ann Emerson, including her recent vote in search of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and her campaign contributions received from normally Democrat / Progressive Unions.

In addition, I will be starting a tracker for Missouri 8th Congressional Democrat candidate Tommy Sowers. There are reasons this virtual unknown is receiving more campaign contributions than Congresswoman Emerson. I think you'll find the reasons why anything but positive for MO8.

Progressive Union is Congresswoman Emerson's Largest Campaign Contributor

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), the 12th largest union in the AFL-CIO, is listed as Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson's largest campaign contributor on the web site Open Secrets.

The IUOE describes themselves as, "...a progressive, diversified trade union..." and says the core of its mission is "...ensuring protections of  prevailing wages on public projects, to alleviating healthcare costs through coalition building, to improving our contractors’ competitiveness, IUOE has and will continue to be tirelessly dedicated to the common interests of its members."

It's interesting to note that the Operating Engineers Union for the 2010 election cycle has donated 89% of their campaign contributions to Democrats.

With progressive union friends like the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), it's no wonder Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson is squishy on the health care public option.

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Congresswoman Emerson Squishy on Health Care Public Option

You mights expect that the congressional representative from Southeast Missouri, home of Rush Limbaugh, would espouse the conservative position against the health care public option in Congress. However, if you were expecting Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson to do so, you would be deeply disappointed.

Here are her Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson's remarks from a June 18, 2009 press conference.

Q But broadly, I mean, the Republicans have said no way on a public option. Does that mean, if you're going to have bipartisanship, no public option?

REP. EMERSON: Of course, I would like to point that we don't really know what a public --

Q (Off mike.)

REP. EMERSON: We don't know what a public option looks like. Nobody's explained. There are -- there are probably 18 different types of public options that you could look at.

Q (Off mike.)

REP. EMERSON: Well, that's fine. But not all Republicans are saying that. What I'm saying is that you have to look at what the option is and how you define it. And that's not an endorsement of a public option. It's just that we don't have any specifics on anything, so how do you make a comment on it? You know, Medicare is a public option -- that's what we're doing today -- but so is some of the ideas that Jim and I came up with and Mike in the Healthy Americans Act.


Instead of standing up for a free market in health care, Congresswoman Emerson said, "There are -- there are probably 18 different types of public options that you could look at."

That's Jo Ann Emerson's reply? Really? How about opening up the insurance market between states to increase competition and reduce prices? How about standing up and replying, "There is no government role in managing the health care system in this country. With over 60 billion in Medicare fraud government has no business even considering managing such a huge part of the economy. How about just saying no public option, but that's not what she said. Emerson said, "There are -- there are probably 18 different types of public options that you could look at."

Now what you expected Missouri's 8th Congressional District Representative to say about the health care public option, was it?

Emerson Fights War on Terror in Paris

Emerson Fights Terrorism in France

Being in Congress is hard work. Especially when the Aspen Institute offers to pay for a trip to learn about Islamic Extremism in Paris, France.

The Aspen Institute even paid to bring Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson's husband Ronald Gladney along. You know, the Ronald Gladney who donated to Dick Gephardt's campaign for president, as well as made donations to Jay Nixon and Congressman William Clay, Jr.

Total cost of the trip:

$10,266.60

This includes $2,250.00 for a hotel (not a Motel 6 I'm guessing) and $1,230.00 for meals. Now mind you, this is for seven days. Congresswoman Emerson picked up the other two days. And I thought dinner at the Texas Roadhouse was expensive.

War is hell, especially in Paris.

With this Twitter Follower, Emerson Doesn't Need Enemies

Twitter_tweeps_who_follow_joan

@AnhJosephCao - Yes, the only Republican to vote for Nancy Pelosi's health care reform bill in the House of Representatives follows Congresswoman Emerson's Tweets on Twitter.

Not that it is necessarily her fault. He follows lots of others in Congress who Tweet. But, with Tweeps like Anh Joseph Cao - the equivalent of a modern day Benedict Arnold for many Republicans - who needs enemies?

Emerson Builds Bridge to National Health Care

Jo_ann_emerson-shop-builds-bri

They say that birds of a feather flock together. Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson presents herself as a conservative, but it's hard to see her as such when she supports things like the SHOP Act.

You have got to wonder when among the sponsors of the SHOP Act are liberal Republican Senator Olympia Snowe from Main, Dick Durbin (D) from Illinois, and Blanche Lincoln (d) from Arkansas.

From Congresswoman Emerson's Issues Page:


 

The costs of quality medical services, insurance and prescription drugs continue to climb, making access to care uncertain for every American who needs it. Jo Ann Emerson is working every day in Congress to bring solutions to the table that don’t cut benefits, but find ways to make health care accountable to citizens, and affordable for everyone.

– The SHOP Act and the Healthy Americans Act have received praise from businesses, advocacy groups and think tanks for their new approaches to health care insurance. These new approaches, which Jo Ann is advancing in Congress, make employers, state and local governments, and private citizens partners in private insurance. Every American ought to have access to health insurance and the regular, preventative care that goes with it.

 
Even the SEIU loves the SHOP Act:

The current economic crisis shows just how broken America's healthcare system is - too many hardworking people are struggling to afford care or being crushed by skyrocketing costs,” said Andy Stern, President of SEIU.  “As we move toward comprehensive health care reform, this bill has important ideas of ways to help small businesses & help millions of workers, including tens of thousands of SEIU child care workers, afford the health coverage they need.

I'm always wary of politicians bearing "solutions" to our problems. I'm even more wary when they come with Senator Snowe, Senator Durbin and the SEIU.

Jo Ann Emerson Fund Raising Fizzles

Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson usually goes virtually unchallenged in her re-election efforts in Missouri's 8th Congressional District. It appears that 2010 might be different.

Not only does Jo Ann Emerson have a Republican primary opponent, Bob Parker, but her Democratic party opponent, Tommy Sowers is raising more campaign contributions, and has more money in the bank than Emerson.

Emerson is generally thought to be almost universally popular in the 8th Congressional District. She has achieved that popularity largely by straddling the fence, offering fuzzy distinctions between herself and Democrats, and generally being pleasing to as many people as possible.

This has meant making some interesting bedfellows, such as Maxine Walters, when Emerson voted for the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007 which helped blow the housing bubble and implode our economy.

Now, with unemployment standing at 10.2% and conservatives waking up to the fact that their representatives may "represent" - just not their point of view - this appears to be reflected in Emerson's fund raising totals.

It's hard to see how Emerson is going to appeal to voters who are increasingly under economic pressure. Many of those same voters are protesting the big government bailouts - TARP and Cash for Clunkers - that Jo Ann Emerson approved of.

Sadly, many of Emerson's constituents don't know or believe that Emerson voted for these bailouts, but its true. However, as citizens through the Tea Party movement become increasingly engaged with their government, and aware of what it is doing, they will learn what Jo Ann Emerson, and her colleagues in Congress have been doing with our taxes. When they do, it could spell trouble for Emerson and her re-election bid.

Confucius Say Emerson Better Keep Day Job

It's good to know that Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, can waste taxpayer time and money by taking the time to criticize Congress for wasting time passing a resolution honoring Confucius.

Confucius says, "Congresswoman Emerson better keep day job, because she is not next Jay Leno."

Confucius also says, "Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, they name is irony." Emerson criticizes the 1.48 trillion in debt for this fiscal year, but she voted not once, but twice for the 700 billion bailout.

Like so much of what Emerson says, it would take Confucius to interpret it. Here is a statement from Emerson, after voting for the bailouts.


"The failure of this legislation means financial institutions, small businesses and Americans with pensions, retirement accounts and savings are still at risk from irresponsible actions on Wall Street," Emerson said in a statement issued after the vote. "This is a serious problem that requires a serious solution. The threat posed to Main Street Southern Missouri is real, and I will continue to work for a solution that is transparent and accountable to taxpayers."

So, Wall Street is responsible for the economic mess? The Federal Reserve kept interest rates artificially low for years - helping to blow the housing bubble. Remember the housing bubble. Emerson should remember it, because she helped create it when she voted for the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007 which was sponsored by Representative Maxine Waters.

Congresswoman Emerson wants you to watch the right hand, but don't watch what the left hand is doing. Fall for her criticism of Wall Street, but never mind that she actively participated in the implosion of our economy by encouraging mortgages for those who couldn't afford it. Then, to make up for her mistake, she bailed out the financial giants, all the while criticizing Wall Street.

I, for one, intend to not only listen to what Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson says, but also watch what she does. If you're living in Missouri's 8th Congressional District, I urge you to do the same.