This doesn’t happen often, so take note: U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, generally a polarizing political figure, received compliments on Wednesday from across the political spectrum.
Heath Haussamen / NMPolitics.net
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.
In conversations NMPolitics.net facilitated on Facebook, most people heaped praise on the Republican who represents Southern New Mexico for his vote last week against a controversial trade deal and for bucking Republican leadership on an earlier procedural vote on the bill.
The latter cost Pearce a position on the House majority whip leadership team.
Pearce doesn’t often side with his colleagues from across the political aisle. His trade votes showed independence, some said. Mitch Hibbard of Piñon wrote that other members of Congress should follow Pearce’s lead.
“What a much more effective government we would have,” Hibbard said. “Well done Rep. Pearce.”
“Good for him,” wrote Tom Montoya of Roswell. “We need more leaders who want to represent the people who elect them, rather than voting for bad deals to please a party.”
Others who opposed the trade bill were less certain about Pearce’s motivations but grateful nonetheless.
“Whatever his reasons, thank you Steve Pearce!” Steve Ludington of Las Cruces wrote.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade bill has created unusual alliances — House Republican leaders and the president on one side, and on the other side some Republicans including Pearce and most Democrats. New Mexico’s Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats, also voted against the bill.
Pearce is one of the most conservative members of the House and often angers liberals. Many constituents accuse him of not listening unless he agrees with them. Some on Facebook sounded reluctant to praise Pearce on Wednesday even though they were glad for his actions on the trade bill.
“Never agree with his votes…. Called his office AGAIN expecting it not to matter in the least …… Go figure,” Cheryl Carreon of Las Cruces wrote on Facebook.
Warren Litsinger of Silver City wrote that he could “hardly imagine anyone who is worse for our area” than Pearce.
“He consistently advocates for environmentally destructive policies and would turn the Gila wilderness over to developers if he could,” Litsinger said. “I’m glad he took this procedural vote against the TPP, though, whatever his reasons.”
‘I’d like to see more of this’
Meg G. Freÿermuth of Las Cruces said she wished Pearce “would vote to represent the people of our congressional district more often.” She suspects that losing a leadership position by showing independence might make Pearce “more powerful.”
“I feel weird saying all this since I’ve always voted against him because I dislike how he votes in Congress,” Freÿermuth wrote, “however, I’d like to see more of this independent-minded action from him.”
Eric Gant of Albuquerque gave Pearce “kudos” for his votes.
“We elect leaders to represent OUR values as a state, not a political party’s ideals,” Gant wrote. “Blind allegiance to a party, whether conservative or liberal, is naive and quite frankly stupid.”
Jennifer Sensiba of Las Cruces said Pearce losing his leadership position is evidence that the two-party system “is very broken.” She noted that Pearce does not represent Speaker John Boehner or President Barack Obama, who both pushed for passage of the trade bill. He represents voters in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District.
Las Cruces City Councilor Ceil Levatino, a Republican who lobbied Pearce to oppose the trade bill, said she has “enormous respect” for the congressman “and the courage it takes to go against the leaders.”
Greg Graves of Roswell said he voted for Pearce and trusts him to study issues and “make the right decision.”
“At times I may disagree with his vote, but I know he always is knowledgeable about the issue and votes his conscience,” Graves wrote.
Pearce losing a leadership position for “doing what he believed was right for the people he represents” is “why more and more folks view themselves as independent,” wrote Chris Ray of Santa Fe. “BOTH parties play this game; party first, country/people second.”
‘I never thought I would agree with him’
Pearce generally supports trade agreements, but Cesar Ramos Justiniano of Alamogordo praised him for opposing this one.
“The people of New Mexico and of the United States don’t need anymore free trade agreements that harm our economy and way of lives,” wrote Cesar Ramos Justiniano of Alamogordo. He added that Pearce continues to have his support.
Marcella Marquez-Arellanes of Albuquerque praised Pearce.
“I have to admit I am proud of his vote and thinking of his constituents first and foremost!” she wrote on Facebook.
“I never thought I would agree with him, but kudos!” wrote Anthony Lopez of Pojoaque.
“I’m proud of him. That took guts,” wrote Virginia Trujillo of Albuquerque.
“Wow. Steve Pearce and I are on the same page!” wrote Paul Eichhorn of Albuquerque. He noted that New Mexico’s entire delegation in Washington opposed the trade bill.
“Let’s remember to thank our other congresspeople, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Luján, for their stand against the corporate Democrats and Republicans as well,” Eichhorn wrote. “Then we can thank Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall as well. Thank you Congressman Steve Pearce.”
Not all were impressed
Of course, not all were impressed with Pearce.
“He may be this area’s representative, but he does not represent my family,” wrote Beth Walker of Silver City. “Even when he voted with the Dems: a broken clock is right 2x a day.”
“Is he up for re-election soon? asked Michelle Skigen of Deming. “Or did the GOP need a sacrificial lamb? He doesn’t listen to his constituency, usually, on anything. There’s something not being said regarding his reasons for this.”
Brian Borchers of Socorro mentioned Pearce being independently wealthy and relatively safe from a serious election challenge from Democrats.
“He doesn’t need the support of the establishment Republican party donors and PACs and he is driven more by his tea party ideology than the need to raise money,” Borchers wrote. “This makes him a textbook example of the problems with loose canons that Speaker Boehner has in the extreme right wing of his caucus.”
Keith Whelpley of Las Cruces called Pearce “another example of a congressman unwilling to compromise.”
“They all missed that day in civics class,” Whelpley wrote on Facebook. “If one cannot compromise within his own political party, then what hope is there to sit down with the opposing political party to get real work done?”