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McMorris Rodgers not for liberty

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ voting record speaks loudly.

She campaigned on liberty, but consistently votes to restrict it compared with our past. She voted for HR 347, limiting freedom of assembly anywhere Secret Service agents might be with politicians; for HR 3304 (NDAA) allowing indefinite detention without due process; and supported the “Freedom Act,” another newspeak law slightly less bad in denying Fourth Amendment rights than the Patriot Act.

To withhold from consumers information about what they eat, she voted to eliminated country-of-origin labeling, opposes labeling for genetically modified organisms, and avoids independent testing for GMO safety (she’ll leave that exclusively to its creators).

She also favors the Trans Pacific Partnership, a bill still locked behind President Obama’s doors with a congressional gag order preventing us from knowing the contents. Through WikiLeaks, we know it’s heavily influenced by multinational corporate lobbyists, strips consumers of rights to transparency (particularly regarding food), and reduces U.S. sovereignty through international court-controlled litigation.

Improving the economy doesn’t require secret deals and liberty erosion. Eastern Washington deserves transparent representation by someone who votes on the side of the people, and who honors the Constitution in the spirit of its authors. It is time for a change.

Ron Cully

Spokane

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