Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Something To Call the House About…

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It’s been very frustrating for me as a Democrat with friends and family in other states to hear our new Senator say Massachusetts should not support health insurance reform for other states.  And with real reforms like banning insurance denials so close to being law, even the President seems unsure about whether to just give up on this!  EJ Dionne in WaPo is floating a trial balloon.  Because the House Democrats don’t trust the Senate’s dysfunction, the House is reluctant to pass the Senate Bill with promises of later amendments.  But if the Senate passes reconciliation amendments with 51 votes, then the House might be able to pass the Senate Bill.  From EJ:

So here’s an idea, I have been told reliably, that leaders of both Houses are considering: The House would pass a version of the reconciliation bill containing the various amendments and send it to the Senate. The Senate would change it slightly (in ways that the House agreed to), which would require the House to vote on it again. Only after it got the revised reconciliation bill would the House take up the Senate bill. The House could then pass both bills and send both to the president. Problem solved, health-care passes, and we move on.

Of course, there are still hurdles, but if Congressional leaders are leaking this thinking to EJ, they can be swayed.  This is the chance for Democrats to save themselves from political suicide and pass healthcare reform, covering everyone from the CEOs down to the self-employed and the factory workers who prepared the food you’re going to eat for dinner.  This is the chance for Democrats to deliver on a promise.

If you believe it’s only fair that everyone get covered, then here’s the numbers to call:

   * Capuano, 8th: (202) 225-5111

   * Delahunt, 10th:  (202) 225-5601

   * Frank, 4th: (202) 225-5931

   * Lynch, 9th: 202-225-8273

   * McGovern, 3rd: (202) 225-6101

   * Markey, 7th: (202) 225-2836

   * Neal, 2nd: (202) 225-5601

   * Olver, 1st: (202) 225-5335

   * Tierney, 6th: (202) 225-8020

   * Tsongas, 5th: (202) 225-3411

Thanks, Charley, for putting these numbers together.

Encourage Sen. Kerry and Sen. Kirk to push reconciliation:

Paul Kirk 617 565 3170 (MA office)   202 224 4543 (DC office)

http://kirk.senate.gov/contact/

John Kerry

http://kerry.senate.gov

MA office (617) 565-8519   DC office 202 224 2742

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Comments

  1. This is the best way to deal with this mess (and by “mess”, I mean the US Senate — both parties) I’ve heard in quite some time.  I’ll be calling again come Monday.

  2. Setting aside the policy side, getting the votes may not be easy for Pelosi.  

    <

    p>The national numbers suggest some House Dems probably have districts where voters oppose 2-to-1.  

    <

    p>  

    • When people know this bill will cover 30 million persons, stop the dropping of sick people from coverage, and make progress on the Medicare doughnut-hole, support can grow.

      <

      p>I recall in the early 1990s in Arkansas, hearing Sen. David Pryor telling all those hunters why he voted to ban assault weapons.  He held up pictures of Uzis, “street-sweepers” and the like, the weapons of the drug gangs and explained why he voted to ban them.  He won re-election.  

      <

      p>Voters want to understand why their Senators/Reps vote a certain way, and this Senate Bill has a lot of good measures.  Especially if the reconciliation bill gets rid of some bad deals like the Nebraska cash-in, this can be done!

  3. Why can’t many spporters get it thorugh their think skulls that Americans do not want this bill. They know what much of it is and what they know they don’t like. The more they get to know about this sausage bill they will like it even less.

    <

    p>Did you see this post from Jan 20th…

    <

    p>

    The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 38% of voters nationwide favor the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That matches the lowest level of support yet. Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters oppose the plan.

    As has been the case throughout the debate, those who feel strongly about the issue are more likely to be opposed. Just 18% of voters Strongly Favor the plan while 44% are Strongly Opposed.

    <

    p>Stop wasting time and spinning the bill, it’s dead as is.

    • Reconciliation is a pipe dream. The best bet is to call our Congressmen and let them know that the only way to advance health care is to vote on the Senate bill as it stands and deprive Scott Brown of his destructive vote. Let the President sign this so we can do a lot of good for working people and then move on to more popular issues like soaking the bankers, getting our money back, stopping corporate power as entrenched by the courts, and creating a second CCC style jobs program.  

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