Michigan GOP (and Democratic) Representatives are on key committees reviewing the Ryan “Replace and Disgrace” attack on the ACA. Get ready for more calls & spread the word to others to do the same.
Here’s the rundown from Chris Savage, Washtenaw County Democratic Party chair (better known around here as Eclectablog):
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As you have probably heard, Congressional Republicans are moving quickly to pass their "Repeal and Disgrace" plan to do away with the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare".) This is essentially a way to give massive tax breaks to the richest of the rich and will throw millions of people off of their health insurance plans, making healthcare unaffordable and a privilege enjoyed only by the wealthy.
They are planning to ram this legislation through with very little debate and before the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has a chance to review and score it. This is intentional: As soon as Americans find out what it will do and how many people will be harmed, they will turn against it en masse.
The legislation is being debated over the next couple of days by the House Ways and Means Committee as well as the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Congressmen Tim Walberg and Fred Upton are on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Congressmen Sandy Levin and Mike Bishop are on the Ways and Means Committee.
I just spoke with Congresswoman Dingell and she told me the next 48 hours are crucial in this debate and things will happen "minute by minute". We need to be prepared for RAPID RESPONSE when things come up.
What does this mean? It means that we need to be following the Facebook postings and emails from Congresswoman Dingell and Congressman Levin so that we know what's happening and when we need to act. And by ACT, I mean calling the offices of Walberg, Upton, and Bishop and letting them know of our opposition to issues as they arise. This may mean multiple calls by each of us over the course of the next few days.
Tim Walberg (MI-07), House Energy and Commerce Committee
Washington, DC office: (202) 225-6276
Jackson office: (517) 780-9075
Fred Upton (MI-06), House Energy and Commerce Committee
Washington, DC office: (202) 225-3761
St. Joseph/Benton Harbor office: (269) 982-1986
Kalamazoo office: (269) 385-0039
Mike Bishop (MI-08), House Ways and Means Committee
Washington, DC office: (202) 225-4872
Brighton office: (810) 227-8600
Calling the local office is often better than calling the DC one — partly because if you call regularly, you can start to establish a relationship with your local staffer.
We can do this! Spread the word, get your talking points ready!