Lamborn Asks Constituents for Guidance on Bailouts

A conservative Republican lawmaker is asking his constituents if he should vote to bail out the auto industry as the Congress considers whether or not to assist the troubled companies.

In an unscientific poll of subscribers to his email list, 87 percent of Rep. Doug Lamborn’s (R-Colo.) constituents said they were opposed to a bailout of automakers, and similarly opposed to a federal bailout of Colorado’s state government.

Though the survey may not adhere to traditional polling methodology, Lamborn told The Hill the responses have told him more about his constituents’ opinion on these controversial pieces of legislation.

“I’ve learned even more than ever that these are some serious issues we’re dealing with in Washington,” Lamborn said. “People’s daily lives are being affected, and that’s a very sobering message no representative can ever lose sight of.”

The survey asked whether or not Coloradans support a federal bailout for their state and whether they support a bailout for the auto industry, while soliciting free-response answers from constituents on what they think the $700 billion bailout should be spent on, and how the economic downturn is affecting their family.

The poll, which was sent out at 11 a.m. EST, had received 367 responses two hours later. Lamborn, who was just reelected to his second term in the House, said that while he had heard of some colleagues occasionally sending out similar polls, he was not familiar with any offices that similarly polled constituents as routinely.

Lamborn’s office decided to send out the survey–their second this year–after having sent out a survey to voters on energy policy during the Republicans’ shadow protests during the August congressional recess. Lamborn characterized the response to that survey as “strong,” and said this survey has been strong as well.

Lamborn touted the poll as a factor in his decision on a vote to bail out automakers. (Lamborn opposed the $700 billion assistance package for the financial industry. “I may end up with the same result: which is to oppose the next bailout proposal,” he said. “But this will make me more resolved than I would have been otherwise.”

“The strong response we got from our energy survey is what led us to do this survey,” he said, adding that they may continue to send out similar surveys on big issues in the next Congress. “This is a tool that’s been very productive.”

–Michael O’Brien