Asked, but Not Answered

Earlier this month, I sent an email to Congressman John Katko, who represents my district.

Katko, a Republican, is well known as one of the most bipartisan House members, as I've noted in the past. When I have corresponded with him, I tend to get only generic answers, no matter how specific my questions. It's frustrating, and I sometimes wonder (even on a Tuesday!) if he and his staff think that being bipartisan means being non-controversial or something. Let me give you an example.

I emailed the Congressman with some questions that were tied directly to his statement on his plan to vote 'no' on impeachment. His statement said, in part, (emphasis added)

After thoroughly studying the arguments for and against impeachment, I have come to the inescapable conclusion that, while I believe some of the President’s actions were wrong and inappropriate, they do not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.

There’s no question that this process has sharply divided our country.  Now, more than ever, Congress must put down the swords and work across party lines to find common ground on the issues that matter to our nation: growing our economy, keeping our country safe, and addressing the heroin and synthetic drug epidemic, to start.

While I forgot to keep a copy of what I sent him (through his website, not my person email), here's the gist of it. I asked him to tell me specifically which of the president's actions were wrong and inappropriate; I even gave some examples, specific to Ukraine:

• Withholding the military aid while waiting for an investigation announcement?
• Using his personal attorney as an emissary of the US government? 
• The larger issue of asking a foreign country to investigate his political rival?

I recall asking something along the lines of should a president involve his administration in investigating United States citizens, absent any indication of a crime, whether they're a political rival or not?

I also wanted to know how he's worked with Republicans in the Senate about the hundreds of bills that have been passed in the House, many in a bipartisan manner, that are gathering dust on Mitch McConnell's desk. There might have been something else, can't remember for sure. I was polite, respectful, and thanked him in advance for his detailed response. I even sincerely wished him and his family a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. 

Below is the Congressman's response, minus my full name and address.

December 20, 2019

Thank you for contacting me regarding (p)resident Trump. It is good to hear from you.

I believe it is imperative that government officials are held to the highest ethical and professional standards and that they are held accountable for their actions and for fulfilling the duties and obeying the regulations associated with their jobs. 

That was a good start, since the bulk of my letter related to the president's "wrong and inappropriate" actions. But then, it continued

The House of Representatives holds the authority to impeach and the Senate holds the authority to try impeachments. The House must first pass, by a simple majority, the articles of impeachment, which would specify the impeachable offenses committed. The Constitution states treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors as impeachable offenses. If passed, the official would then be impeached. However, to be removed from office, the official must be tried by the Senate and convicted by a two-thirds majority. 

I know how impeachment works, including that it does not require a legally-defined crime to have been committed. And, I didn't ask a single question about that.

For the past several months, impeachment has divided our nation and sidetracked this Congress from accomplishing meaningful work. With this process behind us, we must address the issues that have been neglected: growing our economy, bolstering cybersecurity giving attention to the opioid and mental health crises in our community, and addressing high water levels. It is far past time to get to work. I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the important issues facing Central New York.

I get that there are important issues to address here in Central New York - I just reached out to him a few days earlier on a specific piece of legislation - but how does any of that answer my question about what he's done or is doing to get his Senate colleagues to pressure Mitch McConnell to even read the stuff that's been sent over?

And not only that, but how can he complain that "meaningful work" has been sidetracked? What have the rest of the 435 House members been doing while the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees were focusing on impeachment?

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this important issue. I hope that you will continue to keep me informed of the issues important to you and your family, as your input helps me to better serve you as your Representative in Congress. If you would like to stay informed of the latest issues coming out of Washington, you can visit www.katko.house.gov to sign up for my e-newsletter. 

Sincerely, 

John Katko

Yes - I'll continue keeping you informed, and you'll continue ignoring my specific questions and you'll continue telling me the kind of stuff you hope will make me go away.

And, I'd suggest that, for people who do subscribe to his newsletter, a simple "Thank you for subscribing to my e-newsletter. I trust you find the information helpful." would be a nice way to close the conversation. 

And not even so much as a hint of holiday good will? Sheesh!

This response could have written to you, the person sitting next to you, or the person sitting on the other side of them. It's remarkably similar to the response a friend of mine received, after she reached out with very different questions touching on the impeachment inquiry.

It's funny - she's now a former registered Republican, and I'm a former registered Democrat. We've both voted for Katko in the past.

We won't be doing that again.