The stimulus bill is being watered down by the moderate Republicans and the so-called Democrats in the U.S. Senate. They JUST DON'T GET IT! The HuffingtonPost reports that these quislings stripped out two of the most important provisions in the Senate discussions over the passage of the Senate stimulus bill:
The sifters found some noteworthy nuggets in the bill. Combing through his section of the bill, law professor and health care author Timothy Jost noticed that the Senate had removed the House provision that would allow people 55 and over who are laid off to continue COBRA coverage at a subsidized rate until they're 65 and eligible for Medicare. The House version also made folks who were laid off temporarily eligible for Medicaid; the Senate version strips that out, Jost found. Every one percent increase in unemployment throws more than a million people into the ranks of the uninsured.
Are you kidding me? They took that out? For good god's sake, that was going to help millions of laid-off Americans and unemployed keep access to health care they now can't afford! I have to pay COBRA now, and I'm now employed even though my job doesn't offer health insurance. That's $379 a month that I have to pay for the privilege of COBRA insurance.
Now, I'm not unemployed, but millions of Americans are. They NEED access to health insurance for their families. The government was supposed to pick up 65% of the cost of a monthly premium for an American that was laid off by those same companies now partying on Wall Street with our taxpayer money.
Remember, every one percent increase in unemployment throws more than a million people into the ranks of the uninsured.
I'm so mad that I can barely control my hands in drinking my coffee this morning. Where's our bailout that we need? ENOUGH is ENOUGH!
I need you to help me let these cretins in the SENATE know that they can't do this! I want you to CALL Senator Harry Reid's office HERE!
Reid, Harry - (D - NV) Class III
522 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3542
Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Also, call and e-mail every one of these Senators HERE!
Let them know that WE WANT HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED!
TELL THEM TO PUT IT BACK IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE!
TELL THEM NO MORE TAX CUTS FOR BUSINESSES AND THE WEALTHY!
TELL THEM TO PASS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE!
INSIST ON THE HOUSE POSITION ON COBRA.
Had enough? Had enough NOW? Then help me CALL these cretins in the Senate! It's time to let them know we're angry and we're not going to take it anymore.
UPDATE: PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND TO ANYONE ON THE BLOGS THAT YOU VISIT. PROVIDE THEM WITH THE CONTACT INFORMATION TO THEIR SENATORS! Let's have this go viral across America!
TOLL FREE NUMBER HERE:
1-866-544-7573
UPDATE: The Roll Call is reporting that the Blue Dog Democrats in the House Are Threatening To Oppose The Stimulus Bill!
The Blue Dog Caucus must be treated in the same vein as the Republicans are. They don't want the stimulus bill to pass!
CALL EACH MEMBER OF THE BLUE DOG CAUCUS AND ASK THEM TO STOP OPPOSING OBAMA!!!
Also, please go to this diary by KagroX and read more about what you can do there.