(If you want to skip all my fancy rhetoric, just skip down to the prioritized action list which I have blockquoted below.)
There is a battle going on. A battle which I believe may determine the future of the Democratic Party. The battle is between two main factions. On the one side we have the Pragmatic Liberals(that's us). On the other we have those who wish to make the perfect the enemy of the good.
This is my favorite kind of Daily Kos Diary. It's an ACTION diary.
I am not against fixing the bill. No one is. That would be stupid. But I support looking at reality. We do not have the votes in the Senate to pass anything Health Care Reform related. Count the votes and you will see. However, if we pass the damn bill, and then offer a very good sidecar legislation package, we can begin to pressure the Senate into voting for it. The Senate Dems who don't vote for the sidecar legislation we can primary. The Republicans who don't vote for it will be voting against the American people, and we will have the opportunity to let the American people see that. The main thing I need you to realize is this: If we pressure the house to vote against the bill unless the Senate agrees to fix it, The Bill. Will. Die.
Look, I realize this bill isn't perfect. But it's 500 times better than nothing. If you are a progressive would rather have nothing than this bill, I must question your state of mind. Most folks I have talked to who have taken this position have demonstrated to me an utter lack of knowledge concerning what is in the actual Senate bill and how Health Care Reform works. Hint: You can't get rid of pre-existing conditions if you don't have an insurance mandate.
It's easy. I was doing it just yesterday. You should try it. Just call the number. The switchboard operator will answer immediately, at which point all you have to do is say the name of the Representative you want them to direct you to.
In order to be most effective, please use this prioritized action list I have blockquoted below.
This list is prioritized, but that does not mean you have to call them in that order. These are only suggestions. Strategic suggestions, mind you, that will help us be most efficient, but only suggestions. Feel free to start with any priority number you wish. In fact, we could use some work on the "undecided" category so that we can push those representatives into making a stand. Once we find out where representatives stand on an issue, we can more effectively influence them.
One last thing: Below the prioritized action list is a blockquoted list of talking points if you are still not sure what to say to the staffer. Feel free to choose one or two of these talking points to deliver to the staffer who takes your call.
Priority 1: Call your Representative
You know who this is. Call them, please. Even if they are a blue dog. Even if they are a Republican. Do it. Just do it. Constituent calls make the most difference of all. It will only take you 3-4 minutes. You don’t need to rant or rave(unless you want to). Just call them and politely tell the staffer who picks up the phone to relay the message to your Representative that you are a constituent who wants them to pass the Senate bill. Feel free to give them any reasoning you want. Or none at all. You are their constituent. You are their boss. Tell them what you want them to do.
Priority 1a: Call Nancy Pelosi's office right now. Tell her to
lean on House Dems to Pass The Damn Bill
Priority 2: Call any from this group of rep.'s who have said they will not support the senate bill(or are trending toward not supporting it) because it is not "progressive enough"(b/c of abortion language, or public option, or excise tax, or etcetera). Let them know how you feel. Let them have it. Tell them Democrats will hold THEM responsible if HCR fails because they didn’t vote for it!
Baird, Brian (WA-3, 98582)
Berkley, Shelley (NV-1, 89102)
Bishop, Tim (NY-1, 11727)
Blumenauer, Earl (OR-3, 97232) CPC
Degette, Diana (CO-1, 80203)
Ellison, Keith (MN-5, 55411) CPC
Lofgren, Zoe (CA-16, 95112)
Lowey, Nita (NY-18, 10605)
Inslee, Jay (WA-01, 18560)
Kucinich, Dennis (OH-10, 14400) CPC
Lynch, Stephen (MA-9, 02210)
Maffei, Dan (NY-25, 13261)
Massa, Eric (NY-29, 14760) CPC
Neal, Richard (MA-2, 01105)
Weiner, Anthony (NY-9, 11235)
Woolsey, Lynn (CA-6, 94903) CPC
Priority 3: Call any from this group of representatives who are perceived to be "on the fence". Offer compelling reasoning to these people as to why they should support the Senate Bill.
Andews, Robert (NJ-1, 08035)
Baldwin, Tammy (WI-2, 53703) CPC
Capps, Lois (CA-23, 93101)
Farr, Sam (CA-17, 95060) CPC
Frank, Barney (MA-4, 02458) CPC
Lewis, John (GA-5, 30303)
McDermott, Jim (WA-7, 98101) CPC
Pingree, Chellie (ME-1, 04101) CPC
Slaughter, Louise (NY-28, 14301) CPC
Tsongas, Nikki (MA-5, 01720)
Van Hollen, Chris (MD-8, 20850)
Waters, Maxine (CA-35, 90003) CPC
Priority 4: Call any from this group of rep.'s who are strictly "undecided." Tell them what you want. Make them offer you a position. Pester them. Do not let them sidestep you.
Abercrombie, Neil (HI-1, 96850) CPC
Bean, Melissa (IL-8, 60173)
Boccieri, John (OH-16, 44702)
Doyle, Mike (PA-14, 15235)
Edwards, Donna (M-4, 20910) CPC
Hinojosa, Ruben (TX-15, 78539)
Honda, Mike(CA-15, 95008) CPC
Bernice Johnson, Eddie (TX-30, 75201) CPC
Kind, Ron (WI-3, 54701)
Lee, Barbara (CA-9, 94546) CPC
Loebsack, David (IA-2, 52401)
Lujan, Ben (NM-3, 87505)
Markey, Edward (MA-7, 01702) CPC
Matsui, Doris (CA-5, 95814)
Michaud, Mike (ME-2, 04240) Blue Dog voted for hcr
Oberstar, James (MN-8, 55802)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND, 58103) Blue Dog voted for hcr
Rothman, Steve (NJ-9, 07306)
Ruppersberger. Dutch (MD-2, 21093)
Sarbanes, John (MD-3, 21401)
Schakowsky, Jan (IL-9, 60640) CPC
Schraeder, Kurt (OR-5, 97045)
Walz, Tim (MN-1, 55901)
Watt, Melvin (NC-12, 28208) CPC
Wu, David (OR-1, 97205)
Priority 5: Call any from this group of CPC members and find out whether or not they will support the senate bill.
Ed Pastor (AZ-4, Phoenix)
George Miller (CA-7, Richmond)
Henry Waxman (CA-30, Los Angeles)
Xavier Becerra (CA-17, Montery)
Judy Chu (CA-32, El Monte)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34, Los Angeles)
Laura Richardson (CA-37, Long Beach)
Linda Sanchez (CA-39, Lakewood)
Bob Filner (CA-51, San Diego)
Jared Polis (CO-02, Boulder)
Rosa DeLauro (CT-3, New Haven)
Corrine Brown (FL-3, Jacksonville)
Alan Grayson (FL-8, Orlando)
Robert Wexler (FL-19, Boca Raton)
Alcee Hastings (FL-23, Fort Lauderdale)
Hank Johnson (GA-4, Lithonia)
Mazie Hirono (HI-2, Honolulu)
Bobby Rush (IL-1, Chicago)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2, Chicago Heights)
Phil Hare (IL-17, Rock Island)
André Carson (IN-7, Indianapolis)
Dave Loebsack (IA-2, Cedar Rapids)
John Olver (MA-1, Amherst)
Jim McGovern (MA-3, Worcester)
John Conyers (MI-14, Detroit)
Bennie Thompson (MS-2, Bolton)
William Lacy Clay, Jr. (MO-1, St. Louis)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5, Kansas City)
Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Donald Payne (NJ-10, Newark)
Ben R. Luján (NM-3, Santa Fe)
Charles Rangel (NY-15, Harlem)
Jose Serrano (NY-16, Bronx)
Maurice Hinchey (NY-22, Saugerties)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-9, Toledo)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11, Warrensville Heights)
Peter DeFazio (OR-4, Eugene)
Bob Brady (PA-1, Philadelphia)
Chaka Fattah (PA-2, Philadelphia)
Peter Welch (VT-At Large)
Gwen Moore (WI-4, Milwaukee)
Clyburn, James (SC-6, Columbia)
Priority 6: Call any from this group of Blue Dogs who voted for the House HCR bill and find whether or not they will support the Senate Bill.
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
Also call representatives from this list of Representatives from neither CPC or Blue Dog Caucus and find out where they stand on passing the damned bill.
Adler, John (N.J.)
Boucher, Rick (Va.)
Davis, Artur (Ala.)
Edwards, Chet (Tex.)
Griffith, Parker (Ala.)
Kissell, Larry (N.C.)
Kosmas, Suzanne (Fla.)
McIntyre, Mike (N.C.)
McMahon, Mike (N.Y.)
Skelton, Ike (Mo.)
Teague, Harry (N.M.)
Joseph Cao (R) from Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District. Republican who voted for hcr
Priority 7: Call any from this group of Blue Dogs and chew them out for not supporting any hcr bill.
Altmire, Jason (Penn.)
Barrow, John (Ga.)
Boren, Dan (Okla.)
Boyd, Allen (Fla.)
Bright, Bobby (Ala.)
Chandler, Ben (Ky.)
Childers, Travis (Miss.)
Davis, Lincoln (Tenn.)
Gordon, Bart (Tenn.)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (S.D.)
Holden, Tim (Penn.)
Kratovil, Frank (Md.)
Markey, Betsy (Colo.)
Marshall, Jim (Ga.)
Matheson, Jim (Utah)
Melancon, Charlie (La.)
Minnick, Walt (Idaho)
Murphy, Scott (N.Y.)
Nye, Glenn (Va.)
Peterson, Collin (Minn.)
Ross, Mike (Ark.)
Shuler, Heath (N.C.)
Tanner, John (Tenn.)
Taylor, Gene (Miss.)
Priority 8: Call your Senators and push for them to work with the House.
Priority 9: Call any from this group of representatives who are definitively on our side and thank them. Positive reinforcement can go a long way.
Courtney, Joe
Dingell
Higgins, Brian
Maloney NY CPC
Meek FL
Moran VA CPC
Nadler NY CPC
Price NC-4
Watson CPC