Alright, by a vote of 60-39, the Senate just voted to allow the health care bill to proceed to the floor for debate. Debate is expected to last at least 3 weeks, however, and there are still more votes to go. In addition, the Senate is going on their Thanksgiving break effective immediately, and there is every possibility that angry conservatives will try to confront swing votes to try to scare them into not voting for the final passage.
This is an important step, but it's not time to rest and pat ourselves on the back. 40 of the last 41 bills that passed this first hurdle ended up getting through the senate, but we have to make sure this isn't the "1".
Rather, now is the time for action. We need to keep the pressure on and make sure that we don't lose anyone. Conservatives, insurance companies, tea-partiers and others are redoubling their efforts to defeat the bill, so it's time to redouble our efforts to get it through.
Conservatives have been sending pink slips to legislators and bombarding their offices with calls / emails / letters in order to try and stop the health care overhaul. We've all seen their debunked claims, but they are exercising their right to free speech and they are responding to the (unfounded) fears they have about the bill, aided and abetted by corporate interests and Fox News who incubate the fear and give it legs and funding. We need to make sure that we too are making our voices heard, particularly in cases where we are the constituent of a "swing vote". We can't allow their fears, misconceptions, lies, and distrust to rule the day. We need to combat it with the most liberally biased thing of all: truth. And we need to put our energy into making our own voices heard.
I myself live in Texas, but this hasn't stopped me from writing to Cornyn and Hutchinson. I hold out little hope of them voting for the legislation, but at the same time I feel that they should know they don't have my support in their stand. They can't say that "everyone who has contacted me has expressed reservations". If they say that, I now have evidence that they're lying. I'm even willing to
Some of us are fortunate enough (for the purposes of this debate) to live in states with potential swing votes. Everyone knows who these swing votes are, and they're being bombarded from all sides. With at least 3 weeks to go, we can't let them think that the American people don't want reform and don't want the public option. So, I'm urging people to look up and write to their senators (especially people like me, where this is literally the first issue I've become involved with personally - my first ever political donation was to Obama and the first time I ever wrote to a senator was about the stimulus bill, and now I've written to them multiple times about the health care bill).
To look up your senator's contact information, go here. Even if your senator is a lost cause for the final bill, perhaps he or Ishe can be convinced to vote for the Wyden amendment (or against if, if that's your preference). We need to make our voices heard, and we need to match or even overwhelm the voices on the right who are opposed to this. They have the right to make their opinions heard, but we cannot forget that we too have the right to make our opinions heard.
I'm including the direct contact info for some of the senators who may be more pliable. DC Addresses can be found at the link above for writing letters.
Joe Lieberman (CT) DC Phone: (202) 224-4041 CT office: (860) 549-8463
Susan Collins (ME) DC Phone: (202) 224-2523. Web contact. Portland phone: (207) 780-3575
Olympia Snowe (ME) DC Phone: (202) 224-5344 Portland office: (207) 874-0883
Mary Landrieu (LA) DC Phone: (202) 224-5824 New Orleans phone: (504) 589-2427
Ben Nelson (NE) DC Phone: (202) 224-6551 Lincoln Office phone: (402) 441-4600
Blanche Lincoln (AR) Little Rock Phone: (501) 375-2993 DC Phone: (202) 224-4843
Max Baucus (MT) More contact here. DC Phone: 202-224-2651. Bozeman phone: 406-586-6104
And, leadership's info:
Dick Durbin (IL) DC Phone: (202) 224-2152
Harry Reid (NV) DC Phone: (202) 224-3542
Timeline of what we've accomplished thus far:
Nov. 4, 2008: Obama elected
January 20, 2009: Obama inaugurated
Summer, 2009: Three House committees and the Senate HELP committee pass legislation
October 13, 2009: Senate Finance committee passes bill
November 7, 2009: US House passes Health Care Reform bill by a vote of 220-215
November 21, 2009: US Senate allows debate on health care reform bill to go to floor
Still to-do:
Get by sure-fire GOP filibuster to end debate on Senate Health care reform bill
Pass Senate bill
Reconcile bills
Vote on reconciled bill in US House and Senate
Obama signs bill.
The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind, and we can do our part to help ensure passage. If you have suggestions for more senators who may be pliable, please let me know in comments and I'll do my best to add them.
YES WE CAN!!!!!