Editor:

I am happy to acknowledge in the Star Valley Independent a rebuttal to my letter criticizing Sens. Enzi and Barrasso about their vote regarding a 10.6 percent cut in payments to Medicare providers. Was there also an allusion to the Senate being a part-time job for them?

And there were these references:

1. About the endless riders attached that have nothing to do with the primary legislation. Both Parties do this and neither would support a change.

2. About Congress' low approval rating. I thought most knew, but apparently not all do, that nothing gets passed into law without Senate approval by a 60-vote majority. With a closely divided Senate, 49 to 51, nothing gets passed without the minority party's approval.

For much too long both parties have been playing "gottcha" and ignoring the people's business. Prior to 2006, Republicans had the majority, and since then, Democrats have that thin majority. What's the solution; elect a working majority!

3. Supporting the senator's vote to cut Medicare payments 10.6 percent, I just called Independent Family Practice in Thayne and was told that the cut would have meant no new Medicare patients and existing Medicare patients would have been continued for at least one year. Is Thayne rural enough?

To get a grasp of just how much time is wasted in Congress on bills and amendments that go nowhere, check this Web site: http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm. You can see how your congresspersons vote, and in Cubin's case, whether bothering to vote.

I guess we get the representation we deserve? In the Active USAF we had a saying about "retired on active duty." And when members of Congress retire no matter how long they have been in office, they continue to draw their same pay until they die, except it may be increased from time to time by the cost-of-living adjustments.

BOB CALBERT, Afton