The House's work on health care reform was put on brakes after the Blue Dog Democratic Coalition in the House released a letter, signed by forty members, against a strong, robust Medicare-like public option and insisting that the bill be bipartisan by working to include Republican input. There's that old-fashioned bipartisanship fetish on display again. I'm pissed that the House leadership had to listen to them in meetings yesterday, and keep on holding their hands lest they stray off the reservation in a 40-membership vote against the Medicare-like public option in health care reform. It's also interesting that the Blue Dogs haven't explicitly ruled out a public option, but they're ruling out the best kind of public option that currently exists in the House discussion draft.
Enough is enough! I'm going to need you today to CALL the House leadership and the three Committee chairmen, Miller, Rangel, and Waxman, and ask them not to listen to the Blue Dog Democrats and NOT to give in to their demands on health care reform.
The Blue Dogs don't have our interests at heart--they have Blue Cross's interests at heart. The House leadership should know that in our calls today.
It's time for us progressives to push back against the Blue Dog Democrats. Also, we need to involve the Congressional Progressive Caucus and ask them to push back against the Blue Dog Democrats by insisting to the House leadership that they not listen to the Blue Dog Democrats' wanting to weaken the public option in health care reform.
Here are the phone numbers to call today along with the talking points below:
I'm calling about the Blue Dog Democrats' wanting to block health care reform for us Americans. I don't want you to listen to the Blue Dog Democrats. We NEED a strong, robust Medicare-like public option NOW OPEN TO ALL AMERICANS AND AFFORDABLE, not more of the SAME broken system that's given us unaffordable premiums, little private insurance coverage, and rising co-pays. Please don't delay health care reform any longer, and DO NOT give into the demands of the Blue Dog Democrats!"
CALL Speaker Nancy Pelosi at (202) 225-0100
CALL House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at (202) 225-3130
CALL House Majority Whip James Clyburn at (202) 226-3210
Can you please CALL these THREE chairmen in the House of Representatives, with your concerns about the Blue Dog Democrats trying to block health care reform and ask them NOT to listen to the Blue Dogs or give into their demandsl?
Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel (202) 225-3625)
Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (202) 225-2927)
Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller (202) 225-3725)
Also, don't forget to call the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and ask them to take a strong stand against the Blue Dogs' actions by asking the House leadership not to give into their demands to weaken the health care reform bill, and especially the Medicare-like public option in the bill.
CALL Rep. Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the CPC, at 202-225-2435
CALL Rep. Lynn Woolsey, co-chair of the CPC, at 202-225-5161
And don't forget to CRACK THE WHIP on the rest of the Congressional Progressive Caucus so they stand as a strong voting bloc in opposition to the Blue Dog Democrats!
Right now, we really need you to CALL the White House and tell them that the Blue Dog Democrats must UPHOLD the majority view of Americans who need a strong, robust Medicare-like public option, and not to give into their demands to weaken the public option in health care reform!
CALL The White House at 202-456-1111 andE-MAIL THEM!
Please RECOMMEND this diary so others can see the phone numbers and call today!