Congressman Eric Massa was asked where he stood on the war supplemental and Massa gave a clear answer to Howie Klein:
I held George W. Bush accountable and I will not vote for any more Iraq war funding until we have a strategy in place and under way to bring our troops home. This is not about Democrats vs. Republicans, it's about our troops and I will not bend in this position.
Massa stood by his promise and was one of 32 Democrats to vote against the war supplemental. The supplemental passed the House with a 226 to 202 vote.
There are many reasons why progressives should oppose the supplemental. The $108 billion for the International Monetary Fund, which essentially was a bailout of European banks, was one reason. That is why 170 Republicans (most of the GOP conference) voted against the bill and was arguably a reason why Massa voted against it as well. But Massa also has made it clear that he will not support such legislation unless it includes clear-cut plans for the future. Meaning, if you don't have a plan to get out, you shouldn't be investing money into a war effort with no clear endgame.
Massa was joined by only one other Democratic member of the House delegation - Rep. Jose Serrano - in opposing this supplemental. The other 24 Democrats voted for it, which only goes to show the importance of this vote for Massa.
Massa doesn't hail from a deep blue district like most members of the New York delegation. He doesn't hail from a very progressive district either. The 29th congressional district covers a good portion of the Southern Tier in Western New York and has mostly rural areas inside of it. Republicans held the seat when it was created after redistricting from 2003 to 2009, when (as a result of the 2008 elections) Massa defeated Republican incumbent Randy Kuhl.
The vote against the supplemental was especially courageous considering Massa had already voted against the supplemental last month. That time, he was one of only 60 House members who opposed it, including 51 Democrats. After that vote, Massa was targeted by the NRCC for, in their words, voting against the troops, veterans and their families. This second vote against supplemental, while the Republicans opposed it, won't necessarily mean such attacks will stop.
It wasn't long ago that Massa had drawn the ire of the netroots when he voted against the housing bill. His rationale for voting against the bill was simple: It didn't do enough for his district.
"I campaigned on a platform of standing as an independent voice and voting in the interests of my constituents, not a political party," Massa said of his vote against the housing bill. "Today I did just that because I didn't think the Housing bill delivered a proportionally fair amount of relief to the families of my district."
But while progressives might have disagreed with Massa, progressives should acknowledge that Massa does not put himself first. For Massa, this isn't about him. This is about the citizens of his district who elected him to office. He is one of the few genuine leaders we have left. As we have seen with the recent coup in the New York State Senate, too many of our elected officials but power and the perks of such power above all else. That cannot be said of Massa. He doesn't care about the power, the perks and the "rewards" of the job. He cares about the people of the 29th district.
Massa also cares deeply about many progressive issues. He has been out in front on health care reform and has co-sponsored H.R. 676, which would provide the right solutions to American's health care problem and provide for a national (and public) health care system. While some leaders in Congress and at the federal don't have the fortitude to advocate for such a system, Massa is. And when the progressive movement needs a leader on such issues, Massa is there.
Yesterday's vote against the war supplemental was proof of that. Massa does have an independent streak and he will not vote the party line just because that will get him party support every two years. He votes for what is right. He is able to balance his progressive tendencies with that independent streak and it has helped to make him popular in a conservative district that no one thought a Democrat would ever represent.
Kudos to Massa for voting against the supplemental yesterday. Even though the supplemental passed, Massa voted the right way. Just as he promised. |
