Last week, responding to Rep.-elect Andy Harris’ (R-MD) hypocritical demand for government-sponsored benefits, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) began circulating a letter among his Democratic colleagues calling on Harris and other members of Congress who want to repeal the new health care law to forego their own government health care plans. So far just two incoming Republican freshmen — Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (PA) and Rep.-elect Bobby Schilling (IL) — have agreed. But a new Public Policy Polling survey has found that most Americans “think incoming Congressmen who campaigned against the health care bill should put their money where their mouth is and decline government provided health care now that they’re in office”:

Only 33% think they should accept the health care they get for being a member of Congress while 53% think they should decline it and 15% have no opinion.

Democrats are actually the most supportive of anti-health care Congressmen taking their health care, with 40% saying they should accept it to 46% who think they should decline. But Republicans and independents- who put these folks in office in the first place- strongly think they should refuse their government provided health care. GOP voters hold that sentiment by a 58/28 margin and indys do 56/27.

Having campaigned on listening to the American people, the Republicans, well, seem obliged to abide. As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put it in a post-election speech at the Heritage Foundation — titled “Listening To The People Who Sent Us Here” — “Republicans have a plan for following through on the wishes of the American people…And, above all, it means listening to the people who sent us here. If we do all this, we will finish the job.”

But this particular job — opting out of government-sponsored insurance — still remains unfinished and supporters of reform are pressing the issue. Yesterday, Americans United for Change unveiled a radio ad asking anti- reform Republicans to “walk the walk” on health care and today Crowley revealed that 59 other House Democrats sent a letter to McConnell and Speaker-elect John Boehner (R-OH) “requesting an update on which Republican members and members-elect who have called for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act will decline their own taxpayer-subsidized health care.” Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) issued a particularly strong statement, saying that members who ran against reform, but enroll in government insurance “deserve to be denounced as hypocrites.”

New members have 60 days (after being sworn-in) to select an insurance plan from the federal health insurance exchange, which will become available on the first day of the following month. Returning members can opt-out of the government-sponsored health insurance coverage until the end of the open-enrollment period, December 13th.

Meanwhile, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), a reform proponent, has pledged to introduce a series of bills repealing only the most popular provisions of Affordable Care Act. The effort is designed to force the GOP to put their votes where their mouths are. “This will be the big chance for Republicans to do what they’ve vowed to do,” the 13-term member said. “These bills will be their chance to at long last restore liberty and repeal the evil monster they’ve dubbed Obamacare. ”

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), a last minute hold out on the Affordable Care Act, is potentially facing a tough re-election bid in 2012 and may be having second thoughts about his vote in favor of reform. While he has yet to endorse the Republican effort to repeal the measure — he recently told a local radio station that he would “make some changes” but not “throw it all out just because there are some pieces of it, or parts of it, that aren’t working as good as some others are working” — he has tasked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with exploring alternatives to reforms most unpopular provision: the individual mandate.

Political pressures and the Senator’s reputation for acting as a thorn in the Democrats’ back could soon push him to take a stronger stance on repeal. Therefore, in an effort to prevent Nelson’s 2012 grandstanding against the law, it’s worth highlighting that Nebraska is already benefiting from reform — and Nelson is taking full credit for delivering the benefits. Yesterday, a local ABC station in Omaha, Nebraska reported that “the One World Community Health Center in south Omaha is planning a major expansion thanks to an $8.9 million grant from the Affordable Care Act.” Fortunately, Nelson was on hand to offer some supportive quotes:

Officials said the money will go toward the $15.3 million project to be built on the former Omaha Stockyards property. [...]

The expansion was made possible by the president’s health care reform and by a deciding vote from Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson. “Whether you’re rich or poor, when people need health care, they need to receive it,” Nelson said.

The senator said he hopes critics will understand his vote when they see results like this in the metro.

“It makes me feel real proud to know people who are going to get care here are going to get quality care in quality facilities,” Nelson said.

The existing space for One World inside the Livestock Exchange Building will also be renovated with the funds.

According to HealthCare.gov, since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services “has made $14.6 million in new grant funding available in Nebraska,” and enrolled 26 employers in the early-retiree program.

It’s worth noting that Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who supports full repeal, actually sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting grant money authorized by the law for the University of Nevada School of Medicine for “Primary Care Residency Expansion.” Nelson, I hope, avoids similar hypocrisy.