The committee mark-up is going to start at 4PM. PLEASE LIVEBLOG the proceedings of the mark-up below in the diary now if you can!
UPDATE: Zapus has a second liveblog diary up since this one is too wieldy. Can you go please REC that one up?
Currently, the health care reform legislation that's being held up in the House of Representatives is because of the Blue Dog Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee. They're refusing to vote for the passage of health care reform out of Waxman's committee.
We've thought about the best way to deal with these Blue Dogs onthe Energy and Commerce Committee, since they tend to care more about local pressure than national pressure. The word is that a letter to the editor in their local newspaper scares them a lot more than anything else does--because that local newspaper reaches hundred thousands of people in their district. And those readers are what a Blue Dog Democrat cares about because they represent votes to that Blue Dog.Jane Hamsher over at FDL came up with the letter-to-the-editor tool, which we can use in writing to these local newspapers in their districts. We can start writing about how these Blue Dog Democrats that have blocked the passage of health care reform, and how they really don't have the interests of their constituents when it comes to health reform. Here are the links below that takes you directly to the letter-writing tool.
Write About What John Barrow (GA-12) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Mike Ross (AR-4)Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Baron Hill (IN-09) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Bart Gordon (TN-06) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Jim Matheson (UT-02) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Charlie Melancon (LA-03) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
Write About What Zachary Space (OH-18) Is Doing To Kill Health Reform
You can use the talking points for each Blue Dog Democrat, which I've provided in the letter writing tool. The letter can be customized as you like it, but try to stay within the data that's available to you in the letter writing tool. It has to be concise though since it's a letter to the editor, so keep that in mind when you write the letter.
Plus, this is also the diary to liveblog the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing to see how the Blue Dog Democrats vote. There's word that they might vote for a trigger option amendment offered by the Republicans, so we have to be on the lookout for that. The Energy and Commerce committee mark-up will likely last into Wednesday this week, which is why the letters you write now are crucial.
LIVE WEBCAST OF THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE AT 4PM TODAY
PLEASE CALL THESE DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE, to request that they, you know, not screw up health care reform.
You can use the talking points below when you call these Democratic Committee Members.
I'm calling to thank [Name of Member] for supporting the House health care plan, and for supporting the public option and the national insurance exchange. As an American who's faced denials of claims and has been facing higher insurance premiums, the public option and the national insurance exchange is NECESSARY to hold down the costs of private insurance and give us the kind of care we need. Please DO NOT vote for any amendments during the mark-up process that would weaken the public option and the national insurance exchange! I'm an American who needs the choice of the national insurance exchange and the public option.
Remember to write these letters to the editor FIRST before you make any phone calls today. These letters have to be personalized, about two or three paragraphs, and concise. You can follow the talking points to the side, and use some information from them in drafting the letter.
You can also help Nyceve, Jane Hamsher, and I over at Firedoglake along with other activists in this fight by donating. The murder by spreadsheet industry spends $1.4 million a day to help defeat health care reform, and they're ramping up with everything they can to kill the public option and the national insurance exchange.
Here's one last action item for you guys:
- Can you PLEASE find numbers for local TV & radio stations in the districts of these Blue Dog Democrats?
- Can you PLEASE post on local state blogs of the 7 states where the Blue Dogs are, and bring the links back to this diary?
ALERT: It seems that Rep. Jay Inslee thinks that the Blue Dogs are right in their trying to weaken the Tri-Committee health care legislation. He's a Democrat, and shouldn't be supporting the Blue Dogs in their trying to delay health care reform.
Non-Blue Dogs say Ross’ demands for lowering long-term health care costs are resonating.
"He’s expressing a huge sentiment shared by many in our Caucus," said Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), a non-Blue Dog who is also working on amendments intended to cut spending in the bill.
"We’re trying to save the bill and do what the president says we need, which is to control costs."
You know what to do--call Rep. Inslee and tell him not to support the Blue Dog Democrats in weakening the Tri-Committee health care legislation!
CALL Rep. Jay Inslee at 202-225-6311
Anyone ready to do a second liveblog of the Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up? This could stretch into the night. If this diary falls off the recommended list before 6PM, I'll help recommend up the second liveblog.
PLEASE RECOMMEND THIS DIARY SO OTHERS CAN SEE THE PHONE NUMBERS AND CALL TODAY!