Thank you Nancy Pelosi. I've had my doubts about you in the past. But not today.
Congresswoman Pelosi has just gone a great way to guaranteeing the House Health Care plan passes by Obama's deadline. She has vowed to keep working through the summer,
"Because if you think you're going to wait around until you get more of this or that -- you just never know what happens."
Kossacs, this is great news for health care reform, and I am typing a quick little action diary to generate some calls to the office of the Speaker to say thanks. Not gonna be long, and I will of course take this down if it's been written about already.
So first of all HURRAY! This is exactly the sort of thing that Progressives have been speculating about all day. Slinkerwink had an awesome action diary (as usual) targetting Lynn Woolsey for failing to take the summer pledge.
And Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake has probably sent most of you an email about this petition asking members of the house to work through recess.
For my part, I think this is the best thing that could have happened today, and we need to contact speaker Pelosi's office here to thank her and encourage her not to back down:
(202) 225-4965 Washington (first priority, try to speak to someone instead of leaving a message); (415) 556-4862 in case it's busy
On another note, Pelosi mentions this interesting piece of strategy in the Huffington Post
Pelosi (D-Calif.) said some kind of announcement from the Senate Finance Committee would help with negotiations with the Blue Dogs in the House. "I think that some of the negotiations that are going on now will be facilitated by the Senate doing something, because it removes some questions as to what are they doing? What is it that they are doing? I say that respectfully," she said.
So let's keep calling those Democratic Senate Finance Committee members and encouraging them to come up with a solution. Their numbers are below, thank to Lindisfarne at the Democratic Underground; As far as talking points go, may I recommend the following-
Hi, I was calling Senator (blank) to thank him/her for all their hard work on health care reform. I am calling to urge the Senator to do everything they can to meet the President's deadline of passing a bill by the August recess. optional stat
According to most estimates, three weeks in America without health care means 143,250 people will lose their health insurance coverage, 53,507 people will file for bankruptcy because they can't pay their medical bills 1,265 people will die because they lack coverage
Thank you for your time
Democratic Majority
Max Baucus MT (Committee Chair)
http://baucus.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-2651
Fax: (202) 224-9412
John Rockefeller WV
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/...
Phone (202) 224-6472
Fax (202) 224-7665
Scheduling Fax (202) 228-1610
Kent Conrad ND
https://conrad.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
Jeff Bingman NM
http://bingaman.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-5521
TDD (202) 224-1792
Toll Free (in NM) 1800-433-8658
John Kerry MA
http://kerry.senate.gov/...
Phone (202) 224-2742
Fax (202) 224-8525
Blanche Lincoln AR
http://lincoln.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-4843
Fax: (202) 228-1371
Ron Wyden OR
http://wyden.senate.gov/... /
Phone: (202) 224-5244
Fax: (202) 228-2717
Charles Shumer NY
http://schumer.senate.gov/...
Phone :(202)224-6542
Fax: (202) 228-3027
TDD: (202) 224-0420
Debbie Stabenow MI
http://stabenow.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-4822
TTY: (202) 224-2066
Maria Cantwell WA
http://cantwell.senate.gov/... /
Phone: 202-224-3441
Fax: (202) 228-0514
TTD: (202) 224-8273
Bill Nelson FL
http://billnelson.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-5274
Fax: (202) 228-2183
Robert Mendez NJ
http://menendez.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-4744
Fax: (202) 228-2197 fax
Thomas Carper DE
http://carper.senate.gov/... /
Phone: (202) 224-2441
Fax: (202) 228-2190
GOP Minority
Chuck Grassley IA (Ranking Member)
http://grassley.senate.gov/...
Phone (202) 224-3744
Orrin Hatch UT
http://hatch.senate.gov/...
Tel: (202) 224-5251
Fax: (202) 224-6331
Olympia Snowe ME
http://snowe.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Toll Free: (800) 432-1599
Fax: (202) 224-1946
Jon Kyl AZ (Republican Wip)
http://kyl.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-4521
Fax: (202) 224-2207
Jim Bunning KY
http://bunning.senate.gov/...
Main: 202.224.4343
Fax: 202.228.1373
Mike Crapo ID
http://crapo.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-6142
Fax: (202) 228-1375
Pat Roberts KS
http://roberts.senate.gov/...
at
Phone: (202) 224-4774
Fax: (202) 224-3514
John Ensign NV
http://ensign.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-6244
Fax: (202) 228-2193
TTY: (202) 228-3364
Mike Enzi WY
http://enzi.senate.gov/...
zi
Main: (202) 224-3424
Fax: (202) 228-0359
Toll free: (888) 250-1879
John Cornyn TX
http://cornyn.senate.gov/...
Main: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856
Update Let's call Dick Durbin's office while we're at it. Same message as above, but this is one person who should support President Obama, being from his home state. Instead he's carrying the Republican's water for them.
309 Hart Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2152
TTYD: 202-224-8180
Fax: 202-228-0400
Update 2--- Here's the live video of the Obama Press conference. Feel free to liveblog this with me. Stand by
<div><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/22887392#22887392" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>