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RALEIGH — Federal lawmakers may be off this month, but it seems as if they’re going to spend much of the “district work period” talking to constituents about health care.

In a well-publicized incident, Rep. Brad Miller’s office said the Raleigh Democrat received a death threat over health care reform. Miller and Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte

Democrat, represent parts of Greensboro and have both been supportive of health care reform efforts.

Meanwhile, Republicans Virginia Foxx and Greensboro’s Howard Coble have made strong statements against the bill floated by House Democrats.

“Each day, I hear from individuals and families suffering under the weight of unaffordable medical bills and the cost of health insurance,” Coble said in a statement. “I believe that health care reform must improve the quality and accessibility of care, without regard to pre-existing conditions....These lives have value and our health care policy must reflect this fact. Finally, health care reform must be fiscally responsible.”

Coble said he would vote against HR 3200, the health reform measure sponsored by House Democrats. Two other health care bills are in the Senate.

“This will eventually limit patient choice and increase the cost of insurance premiums,” Coble said.

Recess

With lawmakers not scheduled to return to D.C. until September, the Watch column will take a few weeks off as well. We’ll return after Labor Day.

Votes

No votes were recorded in the House last week. In the Senate, two major votes took place:

* The Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Sonia Sotomayor of New York to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, voted for the nomination of Sotomayor.

Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, voted against.

lHR 3435 was titled “A bill making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program,” but most folks would know this as the cash for clunkers program. After consumers burned through the first $1 billion in a little over a week, Congress authorized an additional $2 billion in incentives for people to turn in their old, gas-guzzling cars for new, more fuel-efficient models.

The vote was 60-37.

Hagan voted for the bill. Burr voted against.
 

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com