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Health Care for America Now, along with our partners, has been busy thanking those in the House of Representatives who did the right thing and voted for health care reform last weekend. Here’s a little snapshot of what’s been going on around the country.
Thanking Representative Ed Pastor (as well as Mitchell and Grijalva) in Arizona:
Thanking Representative Bill Foster in Illinois:
Greeting Congressmen Carnahan and Clay as they got off the plane in Missouri:
Thanking Congressman Heinrich (and Lujan) in New Mexico:
Thanking Jared Polis in Colorado:
And Keith Ellison in Minnesota:
And many more events are going on throughout the week all over the country.
The actions are important. It’s crucial that Members of Congress know America will get their back when they support health care reform. And, of course, we need to make sure that when these elected officials get a chance to vote for reform against after conference, they are still with us to make history.
If you haven’t yet found out how your Representative voted, and thanked them if they deserve praise, click here to do so and make your voice heard.
Update
Some more! Delivering boxing gloves to Rep. Castor to congratulate her for fighting for health care:
(also posted at the NOW! blog)
I’m proud to work for Health Care for America Now
14 Comments
And what of Kucinich who voted against the bill? Are you telling people he is a betrayer of their trust?
I truly don’t understand the positions of some self-identified progressives that attempt to parse “triggers”, “public options”, PO’s with triggers, “no comprehensive health care for women”, on the altar of “something is better than nothing”, or as they like to spin it, “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. There is NOTHING good about any of the bills stinking their way through both our houses (a pox be upon them). They do not begin to represent what the American public needs for true health care reform, they are all give-aways to big Pharma and the insurance mafias. This is not true reform, needs to die, and we need to start over again, with pure intentions and hearts, and an implacable will, to get single-payer, or socialized medicine, so that we can join the rest of the civilized world. Now, the problem is , “what next”? I can only encourage people to look deep into their souls and perhaps we can arrive at a new frontier of progresive populism. Let me know what you come up with? (Posted also on scarecrow’s diary earlier)
Well, we here don’t want triggers or coops or anything but a real public option — and we’ve made it impossible for there to be a bill without one. So you’re fighting a straw entity of your own creation.
Jane has explained (most recently here) how the public option’s backers were organized, capable of accurately sizing up the political terrain, and willing to fight over the long haul, whereas the congresscritters who claimed to be single payer’s champions were none of these things. As David “Kagro X” Waldman says:
a larger fig leaf, but not a real public option since it’s not even an option for most of the public. won’t control costs and won’t “keep insurance companies honest.”
i told you i’d only “go there” if provoked:
some day i hope you all explain why it was such a great idea to support hcan, take single payer off the table even for discussion except for the occasional snide remark and instead support an undefined policy (*) with no legislative language or analysis, back moveon’s leadership against nyceve’s petition for accountability to the membership and for months refuse to even discuss what public option was being advocated or any details about how it would work.
there were lots of mistakes all around and i don’t see the value of creating narratives that only include the mistakes of other groups and ignore one’s own — it’s not the whole story. please don’t pretend it is.
i don’t even know what the whole story is. some day i’d like to though.
* note: the policy as far as i can see is now revealed as a stupid, unworkable policy based on neoliberal fallacies about market competition. it does, however, provide a fig leaf for a massive corporate bailout, enriching and strengthening the very corporate interests we are going to have to take on if universal healthcare and cost control is ever to be our real goal.
Selise I think single payer advocates and may others realize that incremental steps is what we have. After reform was smacked down in the early 70′s, 93 etc. I think many are splashing the ice cold water in their faces and saying one step at a time.
When Howard Dean was asked why the Dems started with the PO instead of single payer he said “many of the Dems are hung over from the last eight years”
No excuses for not pushing harder. Just a brutal reality check
leen, i have no objection to incremental steps that make sense. imo these do not, and in fact take us backwards. to my knowledge howard dean has never been a single payer activist or advocate and that i think is true of most of the people advocating the po now. (and we disagree very strongly about hcan. in fact don’t think i’ve ever disagreed with you so much as about this one. the dem leadership betrayed the grass roots activists. it’s as simple as that — although there is a lot more to the story).
Hey, it’s the Canadian antifeminist dude again!
Glad to see that you-all here aren’t for triggers and opt-outs. I btw, didn’t say that all y’all were for those. The point I was apparently not making well, is that HCR is a misnomer for the dreck that is handing insurance companies and pharma the biggest payout ever, and in addition, throws women’s reproductive rights into the trash. I fail to see that replying to an opinion by labeling, and marginalizing other views of people can be very healthy for debate. Curious..who is the “Canadian anti-feminist dude”?
Lovely. While folks are singing and smiling and handing out flowers, are they asking for commitments? Are they telling their congresscritters that, well, hey, that was just great, moving the old health care reform ball down the field a few yards, but when it’s your turn again, what’s the plan? Are you going to continue selling out women and expect us to jump for joy again?
Which direction are we moving this ball anyway? Are we sure we’re aiming for the right end of the field?
Absolutely, that’s most of the point of these kinds of things. It gives us a chance to talk with these Members of Congress and let them know where we stand and where we want them to stand – with us.
anyone who voted for this corporate bailout of a bill and to restrict women’s rights is no healthcare hero of mine. kucinich qualifies. too bad there aren’t more.
Jason you should be proud to work “Health Care for America Now”
Will send my thanks to both Zack Space and Charlie Wilson
Obama and Reagan regimes, style more than substance.
What happens to the 45,000 deaths a year? During the interim and what about when whatever insurance-friendly bill kicks in? Fat cats get much more money. And those who can afford premiums, etc. pay more. Insurance companies set their own prices, and that is the passive aggressive way of avoiding all regulations the Dems put in to cover their asses temporarily.
The Dems let the narcissistic-baby-squalling Fat Cats and Republicans keep their lollipops and left a VERY hard fight for future generations. I am ashamed of our generation.