Word: billings
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...number of staffers dispersed across many offices in different parts of the country. Capitol police must work backward to reconstruct caller-ID records, usually in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local authorities. And the offenders often turn out to simply be irritated voters, angry over this bill or that congressional resolution; a rap on the knuckles has often been considered sufficient punishment...
...That is, until recently. This year's divisive debate over health care reform, and the ultimate passing of a bill, seems to have brought out far more serious threats - and a more serious response from law enforcement. Telephone and e-mail threats have escalated to vandalized gas lines, envelopes containing mysterious white powder, bricks thrown through windows and threats of sniper fire against children and grandchildren. Earlier this week, a man was arrested for making death threats against Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat. Soon afterward, a California man was arrested for doing the same thing to House Speaker Nancy...
...hall - and the two hospitals that serve it are facing big funding cuts under the legislation. The district is also one of the oldest in the state, and McMahon says that over 40% of his seniors are on Medicare Advantage, a program that will be gutted by the new bill. "My constituents are very happy with [my] vote because they understand and they share my concerns," McMahon says in an interview outside the bingo hall. "I know some people are upset, but I've already begun meeting with the progressive clubs in the district to try and smooth things over...
...health care hullabaloo, constituents have other things to worry about. The first question after McMahon's speech was about the rising cost of living, the next about offshore drilling and the third about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I'm this way about the health care bill," says Anna Porto, 80, a retired clerk, wagging her index and middle fingers in opposite directions. "I like that it helps the uninsured, but I don't like that we're paying for it. We can't afford it right now - we can't afford anything...
...Senator has been careful to avoid criticizing Democrats directly. He says he has not talked with the White House - or former boss Biden - about these issues and has only words of praise for Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a onetime champion of deregulation who wrote the Banking Committee bill. "We just have a very different view," he says. (See the top 10 political gaffes...