Everyone in the Ways and Means mark up room is selling something. Everyone, that is except me, Jane, and the parents of Natalie Sarkisyan.
I was sitting next to a nice man, named Rob Grant from a company called City Medical Services in North Miami Beach Florida. Rob sells medical equipment and he was there to remind his Congressman not to cut Medicare funding for things like motorized wheelchairs.
Actually, let me take that back, we are selling something. We're selling a simple and non-negotiable demand: healthcare in the United States of America is a right not a privilege.
If our elected representatives fail to deliver a robust public option, favored by 76% of the American people, and available to all, on day one, we end their political careers.
This is not a threat. This is a guarantee.
I'm putting up the donations page. All I want to say is that the lobbyists are spending $1.4 million a day, in order to make this bill a gift to the insurance industry.
The only obstacle between the lobbyists and what they will fight until the last man stands are the American people. That's you and me.
And I'll update this diary throughout the day, as events unfold.
Please continue to give, and thank you for your heroic generosity.
https://secure.firedoglake.com/...
Hilda Sarkisyan was all over CNN yesterday.
The Republican strategy in the markups seems to be identical to what their insurance industry benefactors do with us every day, delay, deny and deceive. They've got 44 amendments in Ed & Labor, Republicans are making a practice of using up as near the full hour allotted to each as possible. So they'll be working into Saturday and/or through to Monday. Ways and Means was working way into the night. You can watch a lot of this spectacle on CSPAN.
We're being heard, here's an email I received yesterday:
Eve.
I spoke with a friend in the Lobby World yesterday. He says the health care issue has become interesting.
He says the Public Option has moved from "No Chance." To: "Distant Maybe."
But he says that tiny move has created a full on panic by the Insurance and Big Pharma teams. The clients who hire the lobbyists you have met have sent down the orders: Spend Everything!!! Kill This!!!
Interesting. Game on. Stay Angry, and go get em.
And here's a link to slinkerwink live blogging the markups.
HERE'S WHAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO DO TODAY:
The other day, mcjoan posted a list of House Democrats who have agreed to vote against any bill that does not include a strong and robust public option, available to all Americans on day one.
We need to verify that this list is as accurate and inviolate as possible. You do know the old adage, people say one thing then do something else.
We need to be sure we have these folks are pinned down as solid as possible.
Can you start to call these Congresspeople and ask very directly for them to confirm the following?
Please read Jane's post on Firedoglake, so you'll understand why these calls are so important.
Will you kindly confirm that Mr. or Ms. Congressperson will not vote for any House healthcare bill which does not contain a public plan available to all Americans on day one. Public plan must be accountable to Congress and the voters.
Take the name of the staffer you speak to and register the responses on theFiredoglake Whip Count Tool.
AND HERE'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS ON CAPITOL HILL:
Jane had a chat with Earl (Blue Cross) Pomeroy. Mr. Pomeroy is a proud Blue Dog Democrat. He is also the former insurance commissioner of North Dakota. Please read this about Mr. Pomeroy and how the insurance industry owns his Ways and Means seat.
Take a listen. This is what we're fighting.
NO PRYING EYES
Then there's the matter of Dianne NO PRYING EYES Feinstein. Her press person actually said, "under no circumstances will we meet with Jane Hamsher."
This is all about NO PRYING EYES, it's not about Jane Hamsher vs. Dianne Feinstein--that's bullshit, it's about transparency. It's about Ms. Feinstein's untenable position on the public option, which 76% of the American people support and she doesn't; it's about her indefensible position on the most important legislation of our life. And most egregious, it's about the culture of Washington D.C., it's not just your garden variety bubble, it's a closed society, and they don't want No Prying Eyes.
In this closed world, there's an illusion of transparency--but it's basically a mirage. Legislation gets posted, for example, but the deals get made behind doors made of steel and cement. I don't have to tell you that the traditional media rarely if ever ask the relevant questions, rarely if ever put the politicians feet to the fire, because to do so, means loss of access.
That's not a smart thing for a press flack to say, especially when lobbyists are packed into every available elevator and cramming into every Senate office on Capitol Hill.
So we talk a walk over to Ms. Feinstein's office. They wouldn't let Jane in to the meeting we had arranged for the Sarkisyan's with Kristin Wikelius a very junior staffer--presumably all the senior staffers were meeting with lobbyists packed six deep in Feinstein's outer office. Despite that fact that Jane is a sixteen year breast cancer survivor, a resident of California, a taxpayer and an effing constituent, she was not welcome. No. Prying. Eyes. writ large. It's Dianne's world, we just live in it!
I want to leave you with something that will both lift you up, and dismay you.
Here's a video of our meeting on Tuesday with Eric Massa. We need 435 like him.
If you listen, you'll hear me ask, how in the world will all these conflicting interests get reconciled in the final Senate/House conference bill.
That's the million dollar question. No one knows. The outcome remains in doubt, but what we do will make a huge difference.
We hope you can continue to help us shine light on this closed world where they don't want NO PRYING EYES.
And in case you didn't see it, this is what must be defeated. These people can get in everywhere on Capitol Hill.
Please continue to give, and thank you for your heroic generosity.
https://secure.firedoglake.com/...