Polls tell us that the House version of Trumpcare is unpopular, and the Senate version can’t be much more popular. But are people calling their senators to let them know how hated the bill is?
Democratic senators have started reporting the number of constituents they’re hearing from for and against the plan to uninsure 22 million people—and it’s mostly against. New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, for instance, said she’d gotten 5,569 contacts about the bill and 5,461 of them had been opposed. Republican senators haven’t been as forthcoming. Politico got a staffer for one Republican, Mississippi’s Thad Cochran, to offer some numbers:
“Since last Thursday, the Cochran offices have received approximately 224 constituent calls against and two in favor of discussion draft of the healthcare bill,” Gallegos wrote in an email Monday.
But others were a lot fuzzier:
“We’ve had several phone calls — there’s still a mix,” [Sen. Mike Crapo’s communications director Lindsay] Nothern said. “But they probably run stronger against the Republican bill than for it. Most of them want to see changes in the bill.”
He said the majority of calls concerned Medicaid, though Nothern did not specify any numbers when asked.
Probably stronger against than for … and most of them want to see changes. It sounds like that’s a strategic refusal to give solid numbers because Crapo is about to do something very unpopular.
You know what this says, of course. Keep calling. Call more often. Your Republican senator might not be willing to say publicly how much opposition they’re hearing on this bill, but they’re keeping track of those numbers.
Make your Republican senator feel the heat. Call their office EVERY DAY at (202) 224-3121 to demand that they say NO to ripping health care away from millions of Americans. No on Trumpcare. Then, tell us how it went.