Way back when, Speaker Pelosi promised a vote on Single Payer. According to a flurry of linked reddit articles and this email I got this morning from Heathcare Now!, one of the most proactive organizations fighting for Single Payer (HR 676)Medicare for all, that promise may be broken.
As Congressman Barney Frank said in his video response about what REALLY works when trying to change policy in DC, calls from voters have an impact. More of an impact than probably anything else (other than big fat checks from corporate doners - my edit, not Frank's) on a congressional representative.
So take the five to ten minutes today and call the three numbers listed below. Just tell them this:
"Keep the Kucinich Amendment to allow states to pass single-payer, and to allow Rep. Anthony Weiner introduce his single-payer amendment!"
Single Payer deserves a vote.
This way when the public wakes up to the screw job windfall for insurance companies that the so called public option is, we'll know who torpedoed true reform.
Isn't it scary that all three representatives that have the power to make this happen are from the almost failed state of California?
The email:
Dear Healthcare-NOW! Supporter:
We've just learned that the two single-payer amendments to the House healthcare bill that were promised a vote this fall, one introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich allowing states to implement single-payer systems on the state level, the other by Rep. Anthony Weiner to have a vote on national single-payer legislation, are in jeopardy.
We need your voice to get these amendments back on the table.
Let's get calls into the democratic leadership that is calling the shots and make sure they know that we expect the vote on single-payer this fall.
-Speaker Nancy Pelosi: DC (202) 225.4965 - SF (415) 556.4862
-Rep. George Miller: DC (202) 225.2095 - Concord (925) 602.1880
-Rep. Henry Waxman: DC (202) 225.3976 - LA (323) 651.1040
The message is simple: Keep the Kucinich Amendment to allow states to pass single-payer, and to allow Rep. Anthony Weiner introduce his single-payer amendment!
Thanks for all that you do,
Healthcare-NOW! National Staff
P.S. We need your support. Donate today, and we'll get an extra dollar for each of yours!
Healthcare-NOW! survives on the generosity of our supporters. Please consider making a donation to support our efforts to pass HR 676 using our secure server.
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Peter Winkler
Dr. Evan Levine
Sean Fenley
Ted Kappes
Lina Thorne
Glenn Gilchrist
Salon.com
Comments
Due to their positions and chairmanships, they have the power to keep the Kucinich Amendment and introduce the Weiner Amendment.
None of the staffers took down my name, so I am calling them all again on Monday.
The Bush administration cost America $12 trillion dollars including the $5.9 trillion he wasted of the Clinton surplus, $3.6 for the actual war including No-Bid contractors (which Obama is still resigning) and the $2.5 trillion lost citizens paying $4.50 a gallon for gas which cost the oil companies $00.03 a gallon (Three cents a gallon is the actual cost of oil). Pelosi's snuggly relationship with Bush with whom she flirted every time she was in his presence so much that I thought she was going to jump on him.
This disaster is as much the fault of idiots in the Democratic Party as it is it was GW Bush. Only idiots would have voted for anything Bush wanted, so if there is an actual war crimes trial it would have to include everyone who supported the war, which all Democrats except Durbin and a few others did not.
Chris Lee (R-26) has sent a LONG letter all fancy and addressed to me yesterday. As to how and why he does not support the public option and the Dems plans. How it will cost trillions of dollars . btw first he explains to me...what trillion means in terms of a kindergartner. I wish i could reply but I think it would be waste of a stamp. Btw why does he get to spend taxpayer's money on personal mail??Why cant he use the internet or phone (skype, vonage) like the rest of the world?
Rated for keepin' on keepin' on...