Putting Pelosi On Blast
I’ve had a lot going on this week personally and professionally. Most notably was the passing of my uncle JT. So due to those situations, I haven’t had the time to blog about the loss of Ted Kennedy’s seat in the Senate on Tuesday. It was quite a shock, and a huge blow to the Democrats and President Obama’s progressive agenda. The reason this is so major is because the seat was loss in a special election to an anti-health care reform Republican. With that loss, the Democrats’ tenuous “filibuster-proof” Senate majority is gone. The reason for the loss is easy to pinpoint: the lack of enthusiasm and turn-out among Democrats and Independents who want this Congress and President Obama to be bolder.
I am so fed up with this whole situation. I hate to say this about my own political party, but the level of incompetence on the hill has to be astronomical to allow a health care reform bill that we all want, to get hijacked by the Republican MINORITY. I love Nancy Pelosi and I respect the job that she’s doing, but I have to lay most of the blame at her feet. If she was really “on top of things”, none of this would of ever happened. But what’s done is done, and the blame game isn’t going to get this health care bill passed. What we can do is push House Speaker Pelosi to step up and LEAD the House, and bring an end to the divisive bickering among Democrats about what should be done on health care. Call Speaker Pelosi right now and ask her to be bold. Ask her to publicly commit to passing health care with a public option using the filibuster-proof “budget reconciliation” process.
Two political organizations known as “Democracy for America” and “Progressive Change Campaign Committee” got together and commissioned a poll of Massachusetts voters taken immediately after the loss of Ted Kennedy’s seat and the results confirm what we already knew — that voters wanted a public option, expected substantive health care change, and are frustrated with slow pace of change. The poll showed Democrats and Independents don’t think the current Senate health care bill goes far enough, and more than 80% of them want a public option. If a public option were in the Senate bill, these voters would have delivered victory to save Ted Kennedy’s seat for the Democrats. It’s as simple as that.
Some in Congress are naively trying to spin that Congress needs to move more to the “center,” scrap health care reform, and move slower. Nothing could be more wrong. There is a huge opportunity to pass health care with a public option through a special process called “budget reconciliation” that only needs 51 votes in the Senate — that means Republicans and Sen. Joe Lieberman can’t filibuster. But first the House must pass it. Speaker Pelosi needs to hear from you so she knows she has the support needed to fight other members of Congress who didn’t learn the lesson from losing Ted Kennedy’s seat.
We can’t let this opportunity pass us by. Health Care reform absolutely needs a public option. Think of how much free health care could better your life, and possible extended the years we do have. Think about your children, your mother, your father, your grandparents and anyone else that you’ve seen struggle while trying to pay for something as simple as a doctor’s visit. Or having to go without their medication because they just can’t afford it. I’m sure we all can relate to that scenario. Do you want how much money you make, to dictate and decide you and your children’s quality of life? That’s not the kind of America I want to live in, and I hope it’s not the kind of America you want to live in either.
Click on the link below to read over a call script and instructions before calling:
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 202-225-4965
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