Tortoise-like
pace of Congressional action doesn't slow Hare down
by
Mike Kroll
The
Zephyr, Galesburg
Phil Hare is no kid. But even at 58 this first-term
Congressman exudes an infectious youthful enthusiasm as he talks about his
first seven months in Washington, D.C. An unabashed liberal who remains as
steadfast in his opposition to the war in Iraq as he does in supporting the
needs of children, the elderly, veterans and the beleaguered western Illinois
workforce. Ignoring his total lack of Congressional seniority Hard dove into
thorny political issues head first and with a plain-spoken exuberance seldom
seen in high-level politicians. Despite the new Democratic majorities successes
have been slower than Hare expected and he laments that many others in Congress
and especially the Senate remain reserved in standing firm against the Iraq
war.
Hare stopped in Galesburg Tuesday morning as he tours
his congressional district discussing his accomplishments and reiterating his
goals. When Congress recessed very late Sunday night Hare went home to his
apartment for a few hours of sleep before flying home via Chicago Monday. As if
to emphasize that the freshman Congressman remains an Òordinary JoeÓ United
Airlines managed to loose his luggage. But neither lack of rest nor even the
aggravations of everyday life didn't cast a pall on Hare's optimistic outlook.
ÒWe've has a great seven months and done some wonderful things, I only wish
we'd been able to do more.Ó Not surprisingly, Hare confirmed that he will be
seeking reelection in 2008.
Sitting before a small group of local reporters Hare
outlined what he saw as the key accomplishments so-far of his brief
congressional career: increased funding of veteran's health care, a minimum
wage increase, a responsible farm bill, ethics legislation and a commitment to
attend to the needs of servicemen and women returning from Iraq with the same
level of effort as devoted to sending them off to battle. Hare made no effort
at subtlety as he restated his desire to end the war and get American troops
out of Iraq as soon as possible. ÒFourteen of the best men and women from this
district have sacrificed their lives in this war just since I have been in
Congress and nothing about this job is harder than making those telephone calls
to the families of the fallen.Ó
ÒI just thoroughly disagree with President Bush on
this Iraq war. We are squandering billions of dollars and sacrificing thousands
of American lives in a war that the president cannot justify and the original
goals of which now seem unattainable. Meanwhile America's military is being
ground down to the point where our readiness to address other potential threats
is questionable and we have been treating our military men and women like
disposable commodities. As both an American and a veteran I will not stand for
this. I will continue to not only fight against the war but to insure that we
properly train and equip our soldiers before they enter the battle and fully
attend to their needs as they return home.Ó
Hare says he is extremely disappointed in the rules of
the Senate that make it possible for the minority to avoid a vote by mandating
a 60 percent rule to avoid the threat of a filibuster. While the House has
taken action to stop the war similar action has been circumvented in the Senate
by the threat of a filibuster and even many of Hare's colleagues in the House
are reticent to continue passing such measures only to see them vetoed by
President Bush. ÒI don't want to give up fighting against the war just because
of the threatened veto. Congress needs to earn the respect of the American
people by steadfastly standing up for what is right regardless of the
President's position. Whether it is ending the war or improving health care or
education the Congress must address these pressing issues with realistic
programs that Americans support even if the President doesn't.Ó
On those very issues Hare senses the immediate
prospect of success on a number of education issues. He anticipates a reworking
and renaming of the ÒNo Child Left BehindÓ program that has been a bonanza for
tests but far less successful in improving American education. He is supporting
bills that would expand federal support of higher education and create loan
forgiveness programs for students who commit to five years post-degree service
in under-served areas as teachers, nurses, doctors, or emergency service
workers.
Labor remains a key issue for Hare and he wants to
pass legislation that makes it easier to establish unions, Ò...it should be no
more difficult to create a union than it currently is to decertify one.Ó He is
proud of the new minimum wage bill and wants to strengthen it by indexing the
minimum wage to inflation and establishing automatic triggers for future
increases. And he continues to seek ways to counteract the effects of NAFTA and
restore the viability of good-paying manufacturing jobs in America.
Hare points to the recent bridge disaster in
Minneapolis as evidence that this country has long neglected much of its
transportation infrastructure. Many bridges across his district and in nearby
districts require repair or replacement but lack funding for the work. This is
on top of crumbling roads, underfunded mass transit and never ending efforts by
some in Washington to eliminate Amtrak. He sees all of these transportation
issues as critical to the vitality and economic success of his district and
will fight to obtain the necessary funding.
ÒI'm really growing tired of the complaint you always
here that we can't afford to address this or that domestic issue regardless of
its popularity with the voters. Yet, we have spent close to a trillion, that's
with a ÒT,Ó dollars fighting the war in Iraq to-date with no end in sight and
few questions about where the funding is coming from. I cannot help but
contemplate how much good we could accomplish here in America with the money
now being spent on this war.Ó
8/09/07