Dakota Beacon

Good citizens are informed citizens. To that end, true education should aim to produce effective citizens long before offering training for the work force. Likewise, continuing education should advance the interests of citizens. Ideally, educated citizens will take interest in important
 legislative matters and voice their opinions to their legislators.
 

In keeping with the spirit of the informed citizen, one of the better websites on the information highway is OpenCongress (http://www.OpenCongress.org).  This reliable source for congressional activity tracks legislation, senators, representatives, votes, interest groups, financial contributions
 and much, much more affecting activity in the US Congress. OpenCongress.org bills itself as "...a free, open source, not-for-profit and non-partisan public resource website. OpenCongress.org sheds light illuminating the work of congress. Check out their treasure throve of easily accessible information.

 An example using OpenCongress.org involved tracking the recent amnesty bill (S.744, Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act). There was more to the bill than just the media's focus on immigration reform.
 

Four points dominated the S.744 debate: border security, cost, amnesty and a "comprehensive approach". Despite claims to the contrary, S.744 did not provide for border security. Furthermore, it would have added trillions of dollars in Obamacare benefits, Social Security, welfare and Medicare to an already overwhelming national debt.
 

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) offered an amendment (S. Amdt. 1195) to the 1,947-page bill explicitly requiring that the border be secured for six months before America's 11 million illegal immigrants are granted amnesty, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a motion to table Grassley's amendment effectively killing it. On June 13 Reid's motion passed on a
 simple majority vote of 57-43 with support from Republican Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) (Republican members of the Gang of Eight) voting with Reid.  North Dakota's two senators split their vote. Heidi Heitkamp voted to kill Grassley's border security amendment by supporting Reid's motion to table thereby agreeing to allow amnesty to 11 million illegals as a first step.  John Hoeven voted to uphold Grassley's amendment providing for border security first. All of this was tracked through OpenCongress.org.
 

The test vote on Grassley's amendment says it all. Border security, even in the eyes of the Gang of Eight, took second place to amnesty. At this rate our borders will never be secure. This in spite of polling data that indicate Americans want border enforcement first by a margin of 4-1.
 By the way, during the recent congressional recess, both Senators McCain and Graham received an ear full. An Arizona GOP district voted a formal rebuke of McCain for his deal-making with Senator Reid. Graham faces a serious GOP primary challenge and last week switched his Obamacare position.  He now supports defunding Obamacare. Informed citizens are paying
 attention -- and they don't like what they see. Protests from knowledgeable  citizens do make a difference.

 The next major congressional issues to track include defunding Obamacare (H.R.2682 and S.1292), the Continuing Appropriations Resolution to fund the  government for 2014 (H.J.Res.59) and the raising of the federal debt limit ceiling.
 

As cynical as it sounds, would anyone disagree that an elected official's first responsibility is to himself to get re-elected? To that end many politicians flow with public sentiment rather than stand on principle. The pressure comes when they know informed citizens are watching.
 Ultimately, it is not so much about what an elected official says as much as what he or she does, i.e., vote on measures. Regardless of soaring rhetoric and manipulative words, it is the behavior, the vote, that matters. Once a law is passed it pretty much stays on the books.

 It is not melodramatic to say that conservatives in the House and Senate are trying to preserve what America's Founding Fathers established. They are trying to save the country. Is the risk of a few weeks of government shutdown too high a price to pay?
 

Exercising citizenship is hard work and good citizens perform best using sound information. OpenCongress.org offers just such information in an effort to help citizens sort through media hype and understand legislative issues and their legislators' positions. Using OpenCongress.org affords a pathway to GOOD citizenship.
 
 Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or
 bnt@midstatetel.com.