What we're doing in Congress

Dear MoveOn member,

Here in Washington, there are some encouraging signs on health care reform. Key members of the House and Senate have voiced their support for a public health insurance option—crucial to lowering costs and covering everyone. And just last week, President Obama strongly backed the plan.

But this progress creates a whole new risk: Opponents of reform know that a public health insurance option is likely to be part of the final bill. Their new strategy is to weaken it as much as possible.

We'll only get one shot at health care reform, and we need it to be the best possible plan. So members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus like me are fighting back by drawing a clear line in the sand: We will only support a bill if it includes a strong public health insurance option.

"Strong" means that it is run by the federal government, helps cover all of us, and comes into effect as soon as possible.  

But this will only work if the rest of Congress knows that the grassroots support us. Click here to support our line in the sand on a strong public health insurance option:

http://pol.moveon.org/progressive_caucus/o.pl?id=16337-10220574-Oji7Awx&t=1

Dozens of us in Congress are already on board. If your representative is already standing tall, your signature will show the support in his or her home district. If not, it will help convince your representative that it's time to demand a strong public health insurance option.

Publicly pledging to oppose something—instead of just doing so in closed-door sessions with other members of Congress—is certainly an uncommon step. But with nearly 50 million Americans without health care and the rest struggling with out-of-control costs, it's time for bold action.

We believe a strong public option is key to achieving universal health care and lowering costs. The plan will:

• Finally provide relief to small businesses and families.  The public health insurance plan will drive costs down across the board, helping everyone who is struggling in this economy.
  
• Give Americans a choice. So many Americans don't like their private insurance—or don't have it at all. With this plan, they'd be able to choose a plan that's not run by insurance companies. But if they're happy with their current coverage, they can keep it.
  
• Make universal health care a reality. The public health insurance option will be available to everyone, regardless of job status or pre-existing conditions.

Our colleagues in the Senate and House are releasing their drafts of health care reform legislation right now, so we need to speak out immediately. Click here to stand with us. 

http://pol.moveon.org/progressive_caucus/o.pl?id=16337-10220574-Oji7Awx&t=2

Thanks for all you do.

–Representative Jan Schakowsky, 9th district of Illinois
  

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on June 10, 2009. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.