Disappointed labor activists and a few moderate Democrats reacted with anger Monday over U.S. Rep. Brian Baird’s weekend vote against health care reform, and they dropped off letters of protest at his Olympia office.
Baird, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, was the lone Democrat in Washington’s delegation to vote against H.R. 3269 on Saturday. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Tacoma, voted in favor of the bill despite having what he called “strong misgivings.”
“With a no vote, you have placed yourself on the wrong side of history, and on the wrong side against your constituents,” warned Joseph Nilsson, co-chair of the Washington Federation of State Employees’ Political Action Committee in Olympia, in one letter.
The Washington Community Action Network, which represents a coalition of labor and health care groups seeking reform, dropped off a similar letter. Close to 20 people showed up to talk to Baird’s local staffers in Olympia, and a dozen more gathered at his Vancouver office, according to W-CAN spokesman Joshua Welter.
Baird, a six-term Democrat, offered no immediate comment. His spokesman Garrett Russo said early in the afternoon: “The congressman’s just not available today.”
Baird has been getting pressure from all sides. Last week, advocates of a single-payer system dropped off about 90 postcards asking him to vote against the reform bill, on grounds it didn’t go far enough. Roughly a dozen activists with the right-of-center “tea party” movement also showed up last week asking him to vote against reform because of cost.
Monday’s rallies came the same day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited a Seattle hospital with Reps. Jim McDermott and Jay Inslee, AARP and labor advocates supporting the reform.
It is too early to say what political price Baird will pay by voting against the position many of his Democratic supporters favor. But the disappointment over Baird was clearly felt well beyond the left-of-center interest groups.
“I’m very disappointed in Congressman Baird. I don’t understand his vote and this is the first time I’ve been to his office to protest something – and probably not the last,” said Dean Foster, a former House chief clerk who has helped run local campaigns.
Baird issued statements on Friday and again after the vote, explaining his position: that he first wanted to see data showing the effect of reform on premiums for people who have insurance and also effects on Medicare and Medicaid. His statement said it “seems premature and unwise” to vote before knowing those details.
Baird has not ruled out support for a changed bill.
“I will wait to make a decision on final legislation until this critical information becomes available and when the House and Senate together produce one bill,” his statement said.
The federation cited data from the House Energy and Commerce Committee to show that 60,000 people and 17,900 small businesses could gain coverage and 16,800 more small businesses could have lower costs in Baird’s 3rd District (which sprawls from Olympia to Vancouver and from the Cascades to the ocean), if H.R. 3269 passes.
The bill also could improve coverage for an estimated 478,000 residents in the 3rd District who have health insurance by eliminating co-pays and deductibles for preventive care.
Baird’s most visible Republican opponent in 2010 is Olympia financial planner David Castillo, who is pushing for free-market reforms that he thinks will reduce mandates for insurers and lower the cost of plans.
