Dean Heller's Right Turns: The New Anti Government Candidate?

As the Las Vegas Sun article this morning points out, Nevada Congressional District 2 voters seem to like their candidates to be conservative, just not That conservative. [LVSun] However, the August 2006 Republican Primary was a bit closer than most might remember. Ultra-right wing conservative Sharron Angle, or “Our Lady of Perpetual Campaigning,” gathered in some 24,349 votes (35.29%), Dawn Gibbons received 17,317 (25.10%), and incumbent Heller got 24,770 (35.90%). Angle actually outdrew Heller in Washoe (12,151 to 10,103), Douglas (2,664 to 2,657, and Lyon (1,946 to 1,562) counties. [Nvsos] These numbers may help explain Congressman Heller's devotion to corporate protection during the 111^th Congress.

The numbers may also explain Heller's adherence to the hard-line GOP health care reform ideology and recent legislative proposal in the House of Representatives. First, since the House has already considered several health care reform bills, and a final package is now available for public review, the GOP's horse is late to the starting gate. At best the bill is political theater: “In other words, the 219-page bill is less of a complete answer to the Democrats’ nearly 2,000-page bill and more of a political message aimed at highlighting the Republicans’ contention that the Democrats’ legislation is too costly and would dangerously expand the federal government’s role in health care. It also reinforces the Republican position that Democrats are proposing to do too much too fast and that health care policy should be shaped more slowly, in a step-by-step fashion.” [NYT] Prediction: Congressman Heller will contend that the health care reform measure will be “too costly,” will “dangerously expand the federal government’s role in health care,” and that health care reform should be undertaken “slowly, in a step by step” fashion.

The Republican version of “health care reform” in the House of Representatives is little more than a corporate protection act which allows the health care insurance companies to continue their pre-existing condition denials and their non-payment of claims to keep their medical payment ratios in line with Wall Street expectations. Under the guise of “portability,” bill strips the states' power to enact and enforce consumer protections, and to mandate coverage for things like vaccinations, mammograms, autism screening, mental health services, and prostate examinations. Fortunately, the bill has Zero chance of passage, perhaps because by CBO scoring it would leave 52 million Americans uninsured by 2019. [TP] It also isn't helping that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) isn't pledging to insert the GOP bill as a substitute amendment and refuses to post it online for inspection if he does. [TP] Should Congressman Heller maintain his allegiance to Boehner's lead then a person might assume that Heller is looking to increase his “conservatism” in advance of the 2010 primary season, hoping to win over hard-line voters in Washoe, Elko, Douglas, and Lyon counties.

The Aliens in SCHIP

If we are speaking of Heller's hard right turn, health care reform wouldn't be the first example. Congressman Heller opposed the extension of the SCHIP program ostensibly on the grounds that somewhere out there in the distant mists an “illegal alien” would take advantage of the funding. Even the insertion of protective language into the final bill was insufficient to deter Heller's concerns. [LVSun] He availed himself of this chorus in the GOP lyrics again during the discussions of current health care reform legislation.

Tip Toeing Through The TARP

Heller shifted to a populist stance on the extension of the Bush Administration TARP program: "Bailout money has already been spent with little oversight and few positive results. Over the past few months we have seen CEO bonuses handed out, luxurious retreats for executives, and financial institutions buying one another out. By rescinding the additional $350 billion yet to be appropriated, Congress can show the American people that protecting the taxpayer and fiscal responsibility is a priority. I urge my Senate colleagues to reevaluate their vote on this measure," said Heller.” (Jan. 22, 2009) [VtSmt] During the 110^th Congress both Representatives Heller and Porter voted against TARP funding. [GovTrack]

The TARP program makes an inviting target for the hard right (and for some from the left) in no small part because the “bailouts” were advertised as a way to sop up so-called Toxic Assets on bank books to increase available capital for financial assistance to other sectors of the economy. When the negotiations broke down between the banks and those holding financial instruments (read Toxic Assets) about the valuation of those assets, (bankers said 30 cents on the dollar, holders said 60 cents), the Treasury simply used the funds to recapitalize the banking sector. Squealing about the payment of bonuses on Wall Street, and other corporate excesses doesn't address what the TARP funding actually DID. A reasonable person looking at the potential melt-down of the money markets as of 5:00 pm, September 18, 2008, should have sided with Bush-Paulson in their concern for the fundamental damage such a lack of capitalization would cause in the financial markets. Granted that the TARP bill was rushed, that it contained too few strings on the initial payouts, and that it sought to do the impossible (value the toxic assets), but it did restore enough confidence in the financial sector to avoid catastrophic consequences had more investment banking operations failed.

Casuistic Concern?

Given Representative Heller's concern for “oversight,” “CEO bonuses,” and “mergers and acquisitions” H.R. 3126, the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2009, would surely gain Congressman Heller's support? The bill was reported out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on October 28, 2009 on a 33-19 vote. [HEC] Next? “The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 is expected to be merged with a number of other regulatory reform bills before moving to the House floor for a vote including some previously House approved bills such as H.R 1728, the "Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009." [NAMB] We'll get a chance to see just how concerned Congressman Heller truly is about financial protections, executive compensation, and banking M&As when this bill hits the House floor.

We can question the Congressman's level of concern for financial regulation and the oversight of predatory lending practices because when given an opportunity to vote in favor of speeding up the enforcement date for the CARD Act, Representative Heller voted against it. [roll call 851] This vote shouldn't have been a surprise since Congressman Heller voted against the original Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (H.R. 627) back on April 30, 2009. [GovTrack] Evidently, Congressman Heller was more concerned with the impact of “burdensome regulations” on the banks issuing credit cards than he was about controlling the way credit card payments are applied to the balances of ordinary citizens, about retroactive rate hikes, the imposition of limit fees, and notices of changes to credit card agreements with consumers. [PD.com] While the Congressman from Nevada's Second District may rail about banking industry abuse of TARP funds, he seems to have no qualms about voting against legislation to curtail banking practices as those apply to ordinary consumers and small businesses.

Hitting the High Points

Congressman Heller adopted the hard-liners stance on the economic stimulus bill, noting after its passage: “My number one priority in Congress is to turn our economy around and get Nevadans back to work. Despite claims that the stimulus bill would provide an immediate jolt to our economy, an additional 2.8 million jobs have been lost since its passage. A total of fifteen states, including Nevada, now have unemployment rates higher than ten percent. As I stated in February, big government and record debt is not the answer to fixing our economy. A real stimulus package would have expanded tax relief and included a housing fix. This bill which was conceived and written behind closed doors has done a great disservice to Nevadans and the American people," said Heller.” [PVS] In this statement Heller hits all the T'bagging High Points: Big Government, Record Debt, Lower Taxes.

Heller apparently doesn't share Governor Jim Gibbons' enthusiasm for the federal stimulus funds set aside for conservation projects in Lincoln County ($1.3 million) [DCNR] or for the first NDOT economic stimulus project bid for an estimated $14 to $16 million repaving project for I-80 in Heller's district east of Lovelock, NV. [NDOT] Nor does he seem to enjoy the fact that the economic stimulus legislation has awarded $987,900,000 to Nevada, of which $314,630,000 has been received, creating about 5,667 jobs so far. [Rec.Gov]

Trickling Down the Economic Trail

As for the tax relief part, the Administration's tax cuts went into effect with the stimulus bill, and the Treasury Department immediately directed the IRS to reduce the withholding from paychecks within 6 weeks; reduced withholding from about 95% of American families' income. [NBC] Republicans argued that more tax cuts should go to businesses which would then create jobs, but as one economist observed: “It is tough to see how a company that is seeing its sales slaughtered in today's recession is going to hire just because it gets a few thousand dollars per new worker from the government," Howard Gleckman wrote on the TaxVox blog for the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. "Profitable firms would merely take the credit for bringing on workers they were already planning on hiring." [WaPo] Congressman Heller complained that the stimulus had not taken effect quickly enough, however Republicans fought the very inclusions in the bill that would have had the most immediate impact: Extending unemployment benefits, increasing food stamps, aid to state governments, and increased infrastructure spending. [Zandi]

Blinker Think

Continuing along the Bushian Trickle Down theology, Representative Heller created something of a flap about the Cash for Clunkers Program. “At a Carson City Rotary Club meeting Tuesday, Heller asked how many in the room of 70 people had taken advantage of Cash for Clunkers. A man raised his hand, prompting Heller to say: “Congratulations. Everybody else in the room paid for your car.” The man headed for the door, telling Heller: “I have better things to do than be insulted by a man who hasn't learned anything. I'll never vote for you again.” “I know I embarrassed someone and I apologize for that, but I don't think everybody has a right to own a new car," Heller said.” [LVSun] [Nevada Appeal] If a narrow vision of economic stimulation is under discussion, Heller's rejoinder is instructive. Heller's line would appeal to the “government give-away” objectors who perceive any subsidy as a benefit to someone other than themselves without seeing the necessity to sustain major manufacturing and sales sectors. Worse still, the perspective blinkers how the automotive industry is incorporated into local economies as dealerships struggle to sell vehicles during a recession. Closing a dealership doesn't merely effect sales personnel; mechanics, detailers, secretaries, bookkeepers, and others feel the impact as well. [USNWR] The legislation didn't infer that “everyone has a right to a new car,” it sought to promote sales in a beleaguered industry to those who could already afford most of the cost of a vehicle at a time when dealerships were going under for lack of sales revenue. If nothing more, the blinkered mentality suggests an individual whose philosophy might be reduced to “I got mine, now you try to get yours;” the “ME generation” on steroids. Heller exemplified the concept voting against H.R. 2751 in June, 2009. [GovTrack]

If Congressman Heller is still trying to promote his “independent,” or “moderate” motif, his voting record on major legislation doesn't particularly demonstrate it. His votes on economic issues hew far closer to the philosophy of those Angle voters he might seek to attract in the next primary than to the more moderate or centrist voters in the district. One of the least influential members of the 111^th Congress may in fact be an example of the constriction of the Republican Party toward the most intractable members of its base.