The Gazette-Enterprise

MCQUEENEY — As Congress and the president wrangle over health care, Congressman Henry Cuellar has been bombarded with letters and e-mails on both sides of the issue.

Saturday morning, Cuellar stepped into the crossfire.

Visiting McQueeney’s Pica Taco for one of his “Meet the Congressman” coffees, Cuellar fielded a barrage of questions, comments and sometimes jeers and catcalls from both sides.

Cuellar’s visit to Guadalupe County came against the backdrop of a divisive fight over the direction of health care in this country that has also divided conservative and progressive Democrats.

Those pushing President Barack Obama’s “health care reform” bill are threatening to yank it out of the Energy and Commerce committee — where Cuellar’s “Blue Dog” conservative and moderate colleagues have blocked its passage and straight onto the House floor.

The tactic would be a divisive, last-ditch move Cuellar condemned Saturday.

“If they bypass the committee, it would be a huge mistake,” he said.

Cuellar also heard a series of complaints from members of veteran’s groups about health care and other benefits for those who have defended this country — including from Guadalupe County Precinct 4 Commissioner Judy Cope, who has called for a Congressional investigation into goings-on at the Houston Regional Veteran’s Affairs Center.

“Our veterans are being treated worse than dirt!” Cope exclaimed. “They’re not being treated with respect. We need an investigation.”

Cuellar opened the hour-and-a-half give-and-take by introducing his staff, talking about the federal money he had helped to secure for Guadalupe County and detailing his efforts to address issues at the Houston VAC.

“We’re working on this,” Cuellar assured the crowd of about 200 people, including many who identified themselves as veterans. “I’ve sent a letter to the VA saying their number one backlog in the country is in Houston.”

Minutes into Cuellar’s presentation — when he began discussion of the “pay as you go” budget initiative recently passed by the House that is now headed to the Senate — things began to get a little testy.

Cuellar was discussing the budget deficit and how $200 billion of the budget each year is spent on interest on the national debt — 40 percent of which is held by foreign countries.

Repeatedly interrupted as he tried to explain his view, Cuellar asked the crowd to listen to his presentation, promising to answer questions at the end, as he always does.

“Can we give courtesy to the people who want to listen?” Cuellar asked.

“They’re not listening to us!” someone yelled.

“I’m asking you to listen,” Cuellar said.

“We’re tired of listening!” another exclaimed.

“Shut up and listen!” another yelled.

“Gentlemen!” Cuellar cut in. “I’m here to listen. Let me make a quick presentation, and then I’ll listen.”

Clearly, Cuellar had supporters as well as detractors in the crowd, which once in a while broke into applause. The first time was when he mentioned the Blue Dogs, the group famous for attempts over the years to rein in their big-spending, more liberal Democrat brothers.

“We have the more conservative folks and the more liberal folks pushing me both ways,” Cuellar noted. “Do I believe in health care reform? Yes I do. But I also believe in insurance reform. Am I in favor of this bill as it is written? I am not.”

“I know you’re bipartisan,” one woman said. “That’s how you were when you were here. But I don’t want my government taking care of me. I want it to protect me. Listen to us. The majority of us feel like we’re being ignored in favor of people who don’t pay taxes and don’t care.”

Cuellar spoke of his own background as the eldest son of migrant parents who never had health insurance until they qualified for Medicare. Cuellar added that he couldn’t recall having health insurance himself until he became a state representative.

One member of the audience said that the health care system in this country does work with the exception of Medicare, Medicaid and the veterans health system — the three parts now administered by the government.

“What I want Congress to work on is the parts of the program that are not working,” the man said. “If you do that, you’ll have the 100 percent backing of the American public.”

Maybe, maybe not.

It was clear Cuellar didn’t have the 100 percent backing of the people who went to Pica Taco Saturday, but that was OK with him.

As his staff passed out copies of position papers and his business card, Cuellar acknowledged they wouldn’t always agree, but promised his job was to represent all 12 counties in the 28th Congressional District, including this one, and including people on all ends of the political spectrum.

“What we’re seeing here is what we’re doing in Washington as well,” Cuellar explained. “You’re seeing members of Congress, not just Democrats and Republicans, but even within the Democratic caucus, having some pretty heated debates. First, we have to figure out how we pay, how we contain the costs, how do we keep premiums down and how do we get rid of the fraud and abuse that’s out there.”

Afterwards, Cuellar shook a few hands with people who agreed to disagree — but who thanked him just the same for coming and listening.

“I can go to Laredo where everybody wants health insurance, but I really need to listen to everybody,” Cuellar said. “People do get a little passionate, and that’s fine. My thing is I want to hear what people are saying. It was lively, but we were expecting it to be.”

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