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In any election, an incumbent's record is fair game for debate. That's especially true in the race for the Republican nomination in Utah's Third Congressional District, which Rep. Chris Cannon has served since 1996.
Cannon's challengers this year have similar ideological views to his own in most matters. Their main assertion is that they can do the job better than he has. But can they? Voters should undertake a dispassionate evaluation before deciding. Sometimes sorting out the conflicting claims can be difficult. Luckily, in the Internet age, it's fairly easy to find things out. The Library of Congress' Thomas Web site (www.thomas.gov) has a ton of information on what members of Congress have done, from roll call votes to committee reports. For instance, one tab will highlight measures Cannon has sponsored in the current Congress -- from naming a building to bolstering a water system in Juab County. If thomas.gov presents a broad look at what a congressman does, other online sites sift through records to provide insights on the most important issues. Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) has a useful section of that sort. For example, you can click on "immigration" and get records for all House members on eight key immigration measures dating to 1997. The Web site shows thousands of bills, with all sorts of information. For example, Cannon voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which provided for building 700 miles of fence on the border with Mexico. It also shows that in 2004 -- when Republicans controlled the House -- Cannon voted no on HR 3722, a bill that would have required hospitals to provide information on undocumented immigrants seeking emergency medical care. The bill failed in the House by a lopsided vote of 331-88, so neither party liked it much. Another online tool is provided by The Washington Post (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress). The Post provides a wealth of information, including a summary of key votes that gives a full and balanced summary of major actions comparing Cannon's votes to the general Republican and Democratic positions. Cannon usually backed the GOP position and opposed the Democrat's measures. But there were revealing exceptions. For instance, he cut against the GOP grain by voting no on HR 5, a bill that aimed to reduce the interest rate on student loans. The bill passed the House by a wide margin. The above-mentioned Web sites are nonpartisan, but it can be useful to see what the partisan groups say. The AFL-CIO's Web site (aflciovotes.notlong.com) analyzes Cannon's votes in 2007 and in his congressional career. The liberal labor group says that in 2007 he voted for the ALF-CIO position on only two of 22 votes, 8 percent of the time -- which is consistent with his lifetime rating from the group. Conservatives, of course, might view that as a badge of honor. The National Taxpayers Union (www.ntu.org) says he voted "right" by their stands 86 percent of the time, winning an "A" rating. There are plenty of other groups that also evaluate members of Congress, from the American Association of University Women to the National Association of Manufacturers. Such evaluations provide voters with important context that might be missing from mere lists of votes. There's also the congressman's own Web site. For instance, go to http://chriscannon.house.gov/Biography and you'll find out Cannon sits on these committees: • Judiciary: Ranking Member, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee; Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee; Anti-trust Task Force. • Government Reform and Oversight: Domestic Policy Subcommittee; Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee. • Natural Resources: National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee. One of Cannon's selling points is that he is gaining seniority, and thus more clout, in Congress. A newcomer would have to start at the bottom and work his way up. Critics might observe that it can take many years for a congressman to get into a committee chairmanship with real influence; these critics might also wonder if dissatisfied voters are willing to wait that long. We leave it up to the voters to decide what it means, and if any of the challengers can do better than Chris Cannon. Would Utahns be represented any differently, or about the same? |
