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Yes, I'm Listening!
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by Senator Blanche L. Lincoln
I’m not your typical United States senator. I grew up a farmer’s daughter in eastern Arkansas, and I graduated from college with a degree in biology. However, my parents taught me that if you see something that’s wrong, don’t complain about it without making your best effort to change it for the better.
Well, when I later told my father that I was going to run for Congress against a 24-year veteran in the House of Representatives, his jaw dropped. “I didn’t realize you would take me that literally,” he said.
Once I was in the office, I also realized that I could not do this job by myself. I would need to build a strong relationship with my constituents and hire a dedicated staff to assist my public service. I believed then and now that we have a remarkable government, even with all its faults, and I want to continue working to improve government performance and restore public trust.
Whether at home in Arkansas or from my desk in Washington, D.C., the most enjoyable task that I undertake is learning from my constituents how government policies impact their families and their businesses every day. Some constituents are members of large groups and are well represented in Washington. This should not be required, however, and I try to give as much weight to the letter I receive from a disabled senior citizen in rural Arkansas as I do to a large group of businessmen who can afford to fly to Washington and visit my office personally.
The wheels of Congress turn on the hopes and dreams of most Americans. That’s why I rely on my constituents to identify small problems before they become big problems. In fact, many of the best solutions to our nation’s problems come from ordinary citizens who bring a commonsense approach to problem solving. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking is too often in short supply in a place like Washington.
I encourage all Americans to stay informed about current events and to keep our lines of communication open. I find that many constituents believe their thoughts, ideas and impressions are insignificant and no one will listen. Or they believe that their perspective has probably already been voiced by someone before them.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I cannot begin to tell you how many times over the course of my public career that I’ve heard a constituent say something that inspired me to take action. Many times we don’t recognize how important our thoughts, ideas and impressions can be to those who are listening. In fact, the application of our American democracy depends on the free flow of ideas and thought. So if you’re wondering whether your opinion matters, let me assure you, it does.
I need you to keep me informed. I came to Washington to make my government better, but I can only do that with your help.
Footnote: Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln made history on November 3, 1998, when she became the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Senate. She began her second term on January 3, 2005, and is a member of the Senate Finance Committee; the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; and the Special Committee on Aging.
ADVOCACY AMONG COLLEAGUES
Even legislators themselves participate in advocacy. The following letter from Senators John Ensign and Blanche Lincoln was circulated through the Senate last May to attract additional signatures before being sent to Majority Leader Bill Frist.
May 26, 2006
The Honorable Bill Frist, MD
Majority Leader, United States Senate
509 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington DC 20510
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
135 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Dear Majority Leader Frist and Chairman Grassley:
On behalf of the undersigned Members of Congress, we write to request your full consideration of the need for passage of legislation in 2006 to address the Medicare outpatient therapy caps. In the 109th Congress, legislation to repeal the caps has gained the support of more than 40 members of the United States Senate and more than 40 organizations representing clinicians, patients and disease advocacy groups. If Congress fails to act this year, the arbitrary therapy caps will return on January 1, 2007, and will result in restricted access to rehabilitation services and a shift in patients and costs to inpatient settings.
As you know, these caps were placed on outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Since this time, Congress has acted three times to place a moratorium on the therapy caps. These caps went back into effect on January 1, 2006. Fortunately, under your leadership, Congress passed legislation as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that provided beneficiaries with a clinically based exceptions process to this financial limitation on rehabilitation services under Medicare. While problems have arisen during the launch of the exceptions process, we believe that, if those problems are rectified, this process remains a viable option for ensuring access to medically necessary therapy services in a fiscally responsible manner.
Since the Deficit Reduction Act authorized the exceptions process only for 2006, we respectfully request an extension of this exceptions process for at least the 2007 calendar year. This will allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to continue to monitor the implementation of this policy and assist in the development of a long-term alternative to the therapy cap. We appreciate your consideration of this request to extend the exceptions process beyond 2006.
Sincerely,
John Ensign, U.S. Senator
Blanche L. Lincoln, U.S. Senator
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