Monday morning I called our US Senator’s office to ask his views on the Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act, which the Senate was planning to take up that day.
When the staffer answered, I asked him to tell me what the Senator’s views on the bill were. He told me the Senator had not yet released a statement, but he’d be happy to take my opinion and pass it along. However, I wasn’t calling to express my opinion, I was calling to find out what the Senator’s opinion was. When he repeated that the Senator hadn’t yet released a statement, I pointed out that the Senate was planning to take up the bill that day, and a vote could possibly come as early as that night. “He doesn’t need to take a firm stand yes or no, but which way is he leaning? What does he consider to be the bill’s pros and cons? What issues would his decision turn on?”
Nothing. No statement, no opinion. He again asked for my opinion, and I told him that my opinion is frustration that on the day the Senate is scheduled to take up an issue, I can’t find out a single thing about the Senator’s views on it. I asked him to pass along my opinion that I do not think that’s acceptable from a Senator.
Oh, did I not tell you which Senator I called? True, we do have two of them.
I called both. This post describes both calls. This post describes almost every call I’ve ever made to Scott Brown’s office (with a tiny handful of notable exceptions I may have time to post about later this year), and also a solid majority of the calls I’ve made to John Kerry’s office – though Kerry’s people do have some information on occasion.
First of all, I miss Senator Kennedy.
And secondly, I’m really frustrated with our two Senators who are never willing to or interested in telling us what they think about legislation until after they’ve already voted on it.
sabutai says
I mean, I figured that he was waiting to run for president (as Senator or vice president), but after that happened, why stick around? Is he hanging on in hopes of becoming Secretary of State?* Has Theresa told him she’s not going to put up with him around the house if he bows out?
* Considering Hillary isn’t getting the World Bank job, where would she go? She’s doing an excellent job as Sect’y of State.
Christopher says
HRC has already said she will not serve a second term as Secretary. Then again, Kerry may like being Senator. After all, Ted Kennedy stuck around for 30 years after his failed run for President.
sabutai says
He did stuff. I don’t see that from our taller Senator.
MassMinister says
Like it or not, that is how most offices are run. And that “staffer” was an intern who is simply trying to stay in the good graces of the actual staffers. Interns are instructed never to speak for the senator unless they have been explicitly told it would be okay to do so. And when that happens, it’s generally a “the Senator is happy to be an original co-sponsor of that bill.” Otherwise, you’re not going to get anything out of them.
We may not like it, but there aren’t offices out there that are doing something different.
cos says
There are indeed plenty of offices that are doing something different. Often even when it’s clear that I’m not their constituent! But as I strongly implied in this post, Kennedy’s office did not work like this. Neither does my Representative, Mike Capuano’s office.
Plenty of legislators are willing to share information about their views on upcoming legislation when you call, and some offices are happy to look into things for you and call you back. Among the federal legislators’ offices that I’ve called (and I’ve called a lot over the years) Kerry and especially Brown stand out for this.
whosmindingdemint says
The Junior Senator’s opinion hasn’t changed since the last time he voted to protect taxpayer subsidies for the oil and gas industry.
Ask him about ladyparts, though.
theloquaciousliberal says
How would you do it differently?
You think the Senators’ offices should each have someone answering the phone who is able to appropriately articulate the Senator’s position on virtually every issue?
You asked about the Repeal Big Oil Tax Subsidies bill but you need to imagine the sheer number of possible issues that someone might very well be calling about. I’m sure both offices are fielding probably hundreds of calls daily.
On Monday, I’m sure calls relating to the SJC debate over health care reform were widely expected so they probably had an answer for those. But how, logistically, could they even remotely prepare to speak for the Senator on every other conceivable issue (to start to guess, I’d bet there are calls daily on the deficit, taxes, immigration, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Wars and also on virtually every bill that might come to a vote in a given week.)
Moreover, you need to think about the complexity of the type of answer you want but that they don’t have. It’s reasonable to assume that the Senators haven’t decided how they will vote. Sure, Kerry knows he supports the underlying issue (repealing tax breaks) and Brown knows he doesn’t. And so do you. But that doesn’t mean they know whether they will vote Yes or No on a number of expected procedural motions on a particular bill.
Brown and Kerry both voted yes with 90 other Senators on Monday night to let debate proceed. You wanted someone answering the phone at Brown’s office to be able to tell you both that Brown was definitely voting yes on the likely but not certain procedural motion that evening and then also be able to explain to you what that meant about his position on the underlying issue? The idea that they would also or alternatively be able to explain “what issues would his decision turn on” or what the Senator sees as the “pros and cons” is even more unrealistic.
Sorry, cos, but the level of constituent service you expect is an impossible dream. You can expect someone to answer the phone and register your opinion. You can expect the Senator’s to explain their votes (usually via press statement). But you can’t expect the Senator’s to hire enough high level staffers to answer the phone and offer prospective opinions on the Senator’s behalf about every issue.
cos says
You don’t sound like you have much experience calling legislators’ offices, except perhaps these two.
… which is why I said – and I quoted this in my post – “He doesn’t need to take a firm stand yes or no, but which way is he leaning? What does he consider to be the bill’s pros and cons? What issues would his decision turn on?”
Kennedy’s office would’ve had information.
Capuano’s office would’ve had information.
Often the Senators and Representatives whose states/districts I don’t even live in have information like that when I call.
HeartlandDem says
My experiences are very similar. I think it is unacceptable….aka, lame.
whosmindingdemint says
If you want to know Brown’s opinion call Sen. Olympia Snowe’s office. After all, she said Brown’s vote on the Blunt amendment was just an “honest disagreement.”
historian says
I’ve found that Senator Kerry’s office is usually a lot more forthcoming, but this is typical stuff from Brown: hang out with the fans and groupies, talk up sports, and blow off anyone who might cause trouble. Senator Brown and his staff refuse to say whether Brown recognizes that global warming is real and that human action is causing global warming. Perhaps they take it as a given that no one allowed to interview the Senator will ever ask any such questions.
whosmindingdemint says
We’ll just have to hold our own in his honor. There is a good riff in there somewhere about the whole “sportstalk” culture. We all do it to some degree – but why?