After Health Vote, Threats on Democrats

After Health Vote, Threats on Democrats
By CARL HULSE
Copyright by the Associated Press
Published: March 24, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/health/policy/25health.html?th&emc=th


WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers have received death threats and been the victims of vandalism because of their votes in favor of the health care bill, lawmakers and law enforcement officials said Wednesday, as the Congressional debate over the issue headed toward a bitter and divisive conclusion.

Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland and the majority leader, said at least 10 House members had raised concerns about their personal security since Sunday’s climactic vote, and Mr. Hoyer characterized the cases as serious.

At least two Congressional district offices were vandalized and Representative Louise M. Slaughter, a senior Democrat from New York, received a phone message threatening sniper attacks against lawmakers and their families.

Ms. Slaughter also reported that a brick was thrown through a window of her office in Niagara Falls, and Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, said Monday that her Tucson office was vandalized after the vote.

The Associated Press reported that the authorities in Virginia were investigating a cut propane line to an outdoor grill at the home of a brother of Representative Tom Perriello of Virginia, after the address was mistakenly listed on a Tea Party Web site as the residence of the congressman. Representative Bart Stupak, Democrat of Michigan and a central figure in the measure’s abortion provisions, reported receiving threatening phone calls.

Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest-ranking black lawmaker in the House, said he received an anonymous fax showing the image of a noose.

As they prepared to leave Washington for a two-week recess, House Democrats met with Capitol Police and representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to get advice on security issues, and they pressed Republicans to join them in renouncing threats and violence.

“What we want to be sure is that people know that these threats have no place in our country,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We have a legitimate disagreement. We have passed landmark legislation, and there are strong differences of opinion about it. Our Constitution allows us to have a lively debate in that regard, and that does not include threats to violence.”

Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader, spoke out against violence but encouraged Americans to continue to find ways to counter the legislation. “I know many Americans are angry over this health care bill, and that Washington Democrats just aren’t listening,” Mr. Boehner said in a statement. “But, as I’ve said, violence and threats are unacceptable. That’s not the American way. We need to take that anger and channel it into positive change.”

Republicans also noted that their members have received threats in the past and that Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, was recently the target of abuse when he blocked added unemployment benefits.

Still, the dark and personal tone of the final stages of the health fight could complicate Republican efforts to maintain their attacks on the legislation if they are seen as inciting an undue level of outrage and, conversely, could bolster Democrats if opponents of the measure are seen as breaching the boundaries of civility.

The reports of threats, coming after a tense weekend when protesters hurled racial and homophobic slurs at Democrats and spit on one congressman, left many Democrats shaken.

Paul Bresson, a spokesman for the F.B.I., said the bureau was aware of several threats against members of Congress and was investigating them jointly with the Capitol Police, which handles security for Congress, and local law enforcement agencies. He declined to say how many cases there were or to describe them in detail. “We are looking at them and taking them very seriously,” Mr. Bresson said.

Democrats also raised questions about some of the imagery and phrases being employed by Republicans against the Democratic architects and backers of the measure, noting that a Republican National Committee Web site urging supporters to fire Ms. Pelosi has her surrounded by flames. A Facebook page of Sarah Palin singling out Democratic members for defeat because of their votes defines their districts by the crosshairs of a weapon’s sight.

Republicans dismissed objections to the imagery. “The message of our Web site is clear, it is time to put Nancy Pelosi out of a job,” said Katie Wright, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.

In the Senate, Democrats sought to finish changes to the new health legislation by plowing through dozens of Republican efforts to change the measure and force a second House vote.

Senate Democrats accused Republicans of delay tactics and of forcing the cancellation of unrelated committee sessions over anger about the health measure.

Senators Carl Levin of Michigan and Claire McCaskill of Missouri were furious that Republican objections prevented hearings Wednesday on the Pentagon budget and the training of Afghan police officers.

“The obstruction has become mindless, it’s become purposeless,” Mr. Levin said.

Republicans offered numerous proposals to highlight what they see as flaws in the health law and to force Democrats into taking politically difficult votes. One amendment, proposed by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, would prohibit coverage of Viagra for child molesters.

The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said the passel of amendments showed Republicans were “putting roadblocks in front of anything that we do to try to improve health care for America.”

“How serious could they be, offering an amendment dealing with Viagra for rapists?” Mr. Reid asked.

On Wednesday night, the Senate voted, 57 to 42, to kill the amendment. As midnight approached, Senate Democrats had voted down more than 20 Republican amendments, preventing any changes to the bill and keeping it on track to final passage.

Republicans said they would not curtail their campaign against the measure even if the changes pass the Senate and become law. “We’ve fought on behalf of the American people this week — and we’ll continue to fight until this bill is repealed and replaced with common-sense ideas that solve our problems without dismantling the health care system we have,” said Senator Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

One day after he signed the health measure into law during a festive East Room ceremony, President Obama held a far different ceremony on Wednesday: a closed-door Oval Office session where, in the presence of 13 anti-abortion Democrats including Mr. Stupak, he put his signature to an executive order barring federal financing for abortion. The order helped secure House passage of the bill by securing the votes of Mr. Stupak and others. After Mr. Obama signed it, at 2:34 p.m., the White House released an official photograph — the only coverage of the event.

White House officials also held a conference call with reporters to argue for the clear constitutionality of the new health insurance law based on court precedents, and one called lawsuits being initiated against it by attorneys general around the country “completely without merit.”

Charlie Savage, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Robert Pear and Janie Lorber contributed reporting.