Remember when the Progressive Caucus was standing firm on the public option?
April 2nd, 2009:
Dear Madam Speaker and Majority Leader,
Regarding the upcoming health care reform debate, we believe it is important for you to know that virtually the entire 77-Member Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) prefers a single-payer approach to healthcare reform. Therefore, it will come as no surprise as you work to craft comprehensive health care reform legislation, that we urge the inclusion of a public plan option, at a minimum, in the final legislation. We have polled CPC Members and a strong majority will not support legislation that does not include a public plan option that is supported on a level playing field with private health insurance plans.
We look forward to working with you to ensure inclusion of a public plan option and the successful passage of healthcare legislation that will provide a choice of quality healthcare for all Americans.
Sincerely,
Lynn Woolsey, Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Raul Grijalva, Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Today? Well, according to the lady who answers Jim McDermotts calls, not so much.
So, after reading this article on Firedoglake:
And so here we are. And we're going to get to see if the progressive members of the House will stand by their word to hold the line, or if -- as always seems to happen -- they are going to "dive" in sufficient numbers to make sure that the corporatist agenda gets fulfilled. Are they going to pretend that Joe Lieberman has all the power in the party, too, and that they have none?
Please call their offices and let them know that they are in safe Democratic seats, and you expect them to do what they have repeatedly promised to do -- vote against any bill that does not have a public option.
Because if they won't, we'll get to see that "good intentions" are just the public face of deep criminality and they're really just there to hold down safe Democratic seats in order to deliver what PhRMA wants in the end.
I got Jim McDermotts number (202-225-3106) and I called him up. A woman answered. I asked her
"Will Jim McDermott keep his pledge and vote against Liebermans bill when it comes before the House?"
She said she wasn't aware of any pledge.
I told her the pledge the progressive caucus took that it would not support any bill that did not have a robust public option.
She said she wasn't aware of Liebermans bill.
I told her it was the bill coming out of the Senate that did not have ANY public option in it.
She said she didn't know about any of this.
I asked her flat out how, being as she worked for Mr. McDermott and Health Care Reform was the most important issue in the nation for the past year, how could she possibly not know how to answer that question?
In short, I said she was lying.
She wanted to know if I was in McDermotts district.
I told her to answer the question and stop lying to me, how could she not know the answer to that question?
She insisted I tell her my zip code.
When I told her, she refused to speak with me anymore.
Now why would she do that? Why would she lie about not knowing anything about Jim McDermotts pledge to support a robust public option? Unless, of course, Jim McDermott is not going to uphold his pledge?
So please,call your Representatives office and find out if they, indeed, is going to backstab their constituents on their pledge to not support any bill that does not contain a robust public option.
And don't put up with any evasive answers! If they hem and haw, LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE PISSED!!!!
Rep. Michael E. Capuano MA-08 202-225-5111
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Rep. Bill Delahunt MA-10 202-225-3111
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Rep. Donna Edwards MD-04 202-225-8699
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Rep. Elijah E. Cummings MD-07 202-225-4741
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Rep. Chellie Pingree ME-01 202-225-6116
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Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick MI-13 202-225-2261
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Rep. John Conyers, Jr. MI-14 202-225-5126
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Rep. Keith Ellison MN-05 202-225-4755
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Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr. MO-01 202-225-2406
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Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II MO-05 202-225-4535
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Rep. Bennie Thompson MS-02 202-225-5876
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Rep. Mel Watt NC-12 202-225-1510
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Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. NJ-08 202-225-5751
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Rep. Donald M. Payne NJ-10 202-225-3436
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Rep. Rush Holt NJ-12 202-225-5801
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Rep. Albio Sires NJ-13 202-225-7919
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Rep. Jerrold Nadler NY-08 202-225-5635
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Rep. Anthony Weiner NY-09 202-225-6616
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Rep. Edolphus (Ed) Towns NY-10 202-225-5936
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Rep. Yvette Clarke NY-11 202-225-6231
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Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez NY-12 202-225-2361
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Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney NY-14 202-225-7944
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Rep. Jose E. Serrano NY-16 202-225-4361
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Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey NY-22 202-225-6335
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Rep. Eric Massa NY-29 202-225-3161
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Rep. Marcy Kaptur OH-09 202-225-4146
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Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich OH-10 202-225-5871
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Rep. Marcia L. Fudge OH-11 202-225-7032
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Rep. Earl Blumenauer OR-03 202-225-4811
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Rep. Peter DeFazio OR-04 202-225-6416
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Rep. Chaka Fattah PA-02 202-225-4001
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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee TX-18 202-225-3816
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Rep. Lloyd Doggett TX-25 202-225-4865
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Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson TX-30 202-225-8885
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Rep. Jim McDermott WA-07 202-225-3106
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Rep. Gwen Moore WI-04 202-225-4572
