Former Rep. Charlie Stenholm predicted more than two years ago that the Democrats he fondly calls “my Blue Dogs” would vault into prominence.
Stenholm, a lobbyist who still considers himself a Blue Dog, said in January 2007 no legislation would pass the House without the blessing of the coalition of conservative and moderate Democrats. He helped found the group in 1995 after elections the year before swept a Republican majority into the House.
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The fiscally frugal coalition is coming into its own as shown by its members forcing negotiations on health care reform in the House before the August congressional break.
“There’s a big question mark with the spending that is now going on and being proposed,” said Stenholm, a 26-year Texas congressman. “It just cannot be sustained, and the Blue Dogs are going to be trying to change the fiscal direction, holding the line on spending”
The Blue Dogs are 52 Democrats who hold competitive congressional seats. Their districts are basically conservative but not far-right conservative and definitely not far-left liberal. They form a powerful and unified bloc of swing votes on any issue they see fit to influence, from climate change to pay-as-you-go budgeting.
And they have managed to bring to heel their more liberal House leaders and have bent President Barack Obama’s ear at the White House.
Stenholm said there was no bipartisan support for health care legislation.
“Not much has changed since I left the House regarding health care,” he said. “The cost still remains a major factor.”
He added that 18 percent of today’s economy goes to health care, and its price tag keeps rising faster than inflation.
“So everybody that’s looking at this issue, if you’re satisfied with what we’ve got right now, then fine. Defeat everything,” he said. “Just actually come out and say our current system is serving us well.”
Don’t complain about insurance premiums rising and the cost of treating the uninsured in emergency rooms, Stenholm said.
The Blue Dogs will support health care reform but not increasing the national debt as certified by the Congressional Budget Office because of reform, Stenholm said.
The national debt has risen from $771 billion in 1978, when Stenholm was first elected, to $11.6 trillion, he said.
The Blue Dogs have come under criticism for accepting contributions from health care entities and then working to alter legislation, some think, by weakening the public option. The administration has been pushing an option for government-run health care, but it’s unclear yet if it will be part of any bill that comes to the House or Senate floor for a vote.
People will judge the Blue Dogs if they vote for the insurance industry or the pharmaceutical industry to the detriment of the country, Stenholm said.
“And they will be unelected in 2010,” he said.
Stenholm long represented the 17th Congressional District of Texas but was defeated after redistricting in 2004 by Republican Randy Neugebauer in a battle for the 19th Congressional District seat.
