Grassley, King, won’t let shooting affect accessibility; discuss health care

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, two federal lawmakers from Iowa are vowing to remain open and accessible to the public.

In separate interviews with the Red Oak Express, both Sen. Charles Grassley and Congressman Steve King said they don’t plan on curtailing public appearances after the shooting in Tucson, Ariz.

“I need to be around Iowa, talking to Iowans, listening to their questions and … responding to their concerns,” Grassley (R-Iowa) said.

King (R-Iowa) said the shooting, which claimed the lives of six and injured 18, affected legislators in a very personal sense, but that it won’t stop him from doing what he feels is necessary.

“I love people and I love serving them and I need to talk to them. I can’t do my job if I’m not talking to the people,” King said. “My staff has received some briefing on security and we will make prudent changes. We won’t be foolish … [but] we have to guard against overreacting. These kinds of tragedies can cause Americans to overreact.”

Following the shooting, some legislators have expressed concerns over a more polarized electorate. Grassley, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1974 and the Senate in 1980, said a lot has changed in regards to the political rhetoric.

“There is a more opinion out there and encouragement for more participation than ever before … that has more citizens involved in what’s going in Washington,” Grassley said. “It has brought out more people and more opinions, and consequently, more controversy.”

And the mediums to convey those opinions have changed drastically, Grassley said, pointing out three networks controlled 80-85 percent of all television programming in the 1970s.

King agrees Americans are more polarized today than ever before, but attributes that primarily to Former House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and how she discouraged open debate in Congress.

“She shut the system down. We couldn’t even offer amendments to a bill, and debate was very minimal,” King said. “When it gets like that, you have to take your case to the American people.”

With Republican John Boehner as the new Majority leader, King anticipates a major change in Congress.

“If he puts Congress back to functioning the way it was supposed to function, we will see the tone of this Congress shift to something more congenial,” King said.

Grassley, who campaigned on extending President George Bush’s tax cuts, believes the bipartisanship cooperation displayed in passing that legislation may be a precursor to more cooperation between the parties, starting with President Barack Obama.

“You have found the president of the United States a whole different president,” Grassley said. “You have a person who has modified his entire point of view. I think it is going to be less partisan going into the year.”

King’s not as optimistic as Grassley, asserting President Obama, Pelosi, and Senate Leader Harry Reid “trampled on the constituion and the will and rights of Americans.”

“And now they want bi-partisanship when the Americans voted in a Republican majority in Congress,” King said. “It’s not all because they are being nice.”

King meanwhile believes more Democrats will have their convictions tested in the coming weeks regarding his efforts to repeal the national health care bill.

He expects Congress to vote in favor of repeal Wednesday, with a “respectable” number of Democrats joining Republicans, at which time the bill will go to the Democratic-controlled Senate.

“I am one of the few people who thinks if they can force a vote, they will repeal it,” he said. “There are 23 Democrat-ic Senators up for-relection, and they have seen how this destroyed Nancy Pelosi’s majority in the House.”

Grassley isn’t convinced that vote will ever take place.

“I expect the House of Representatives will repeal and that there is close to a majority in the Senate who would vote to repeal, but we will be well short of 60 votes to force a vote,” Grassley said.

He added whomever is elected president in 2012 will determine if the law is repealed, unless the courts find it unconstitutional before then.