She's either condemned as a sellout to the Democratic Party or praised as an honest bipartisan representing a politically diverse state, depending on whom you talk to. In an atypical position as a Democratic representative of a Republican state, Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., called for reforms in education and healthcare at a speech at the Rockefeller Center Monday afternoon and discussed her centrist political stance with The Dartmouth.
Herseth was elected as South Dakota's lone representative in a special election last June after the resignation of the former representative, who was convicted of manslaughter. She retained her seat in the 2004 general elections, with a seven percent margin over the Republican contender in the red state.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Herseth described herself as a "moderate centrist Democrat," a description supported by her conservative stances on several issues on which she deviates from the Democratic line. She voted for the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and the bill that transferred legal appeals in the Terri Schiavo case to the federal courts, and she has received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.
As one of 47 Democrats in Congress to vote for the Terri Schiavo bill, Herseth broke with most members of her party and with public opinion. She explained that, because the issue had already become so public, there was no harm in federal intervention, and she was in favor of giving the parents one last avenue for legal appeal.
She emphasized that Democrats had no control over the Terri Schiavo bill coming to the floor and believes that Republican leaders will be held accountable by their constituents for politicizing what was once a family affair. Overall, however, Herseth said the Schiavo controversy has brought about a healthy discourse on planning for death, "at the family level, the state level and the federal level."
Sounding off on the death penalty, Herseth affirmed her relatively moderate position, saying that, "the jury system should have the option of applying it in a certain set of circumstances," and adding that she was concerned about the rate at which the death penalty is applied to minorities and was supportive of governors issuing death penalty moratoria.
Her speech, however, focused on education and health care, issues that formed the centerpiece of her campaign. "I view those issues through the lens of my state," said Herseth, who grew up on a farm.
Herseth began by detailing the "crisis" situation of American healthcare. "The fact is, quality affordable care remains out of reach for many Americans," Herseth said.
While admitting that, "there's no silver bullet for healthcare in America," Herseth contended that to fix healthcare, the federal government should give tax credits to small businesses that provide healthcare for employees. She also called for a lifting of the ban on prescription drug importation from Canada.
Herseth explained her positions on several current issues and expounded upon the claims made in her speech while speaking with The Dartmouth. When defending her vote for the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which did not muster the two-thirds majority required to pass, she argued that the religious and practical aspects of marriage should be separated.
President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, Herseth argued, adopts a one-size-fits-all plan that is especially ineffective in reforming education in rural areas such as South Dakota. While she said she supported the need for accountability that drives the act, she thought it is inadequately funded.
"Where the administration has fallen short most severely is committing sufficient resources to support requirements it's imposed because of the No Child Left Behind Act," Herseth said.
Herseth further condemned Bush's plan as out-of-touch in her speech. She said the testing requirements imposed by the act force teachers to focus more on tests than on learning, and that these tests are especially inappropriate in a rural setting.
As for her future political aspirations, Herseth remained focused on the present. "I'm not ruling anything out," she said, "but I don't see a run for the Senate in the near future."
