Friday: Crucial Vote on Single Payer Healthcare

David Swanson
One week ago, we eagerly anticipated a crucial vote on single-payer Medicare for All ( H.R.676 ) in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). But then seven BlueDogs waged a highly-publicized war against a "robust public option" and the vote was delayed for a full week.

We just learned the vote will be tomorrow ( Friday ). Based on all of your calls, we have nine single-payer Democrats: Tammy Baldwin, Michael Doyle, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Gene Green, Edward Markey, Janice Schakowsky, Anthony Weiner, and Peter Welch.

Lean Yes

Diana DeGette CO01 202-225-4431

Jane Harman CA36 202-225-8220

Christopher Murphy CT05 202-225-4476

Frank Pallone NJ06 202-225-4671 @FrankPallone

Bobby Rush IL01 202-225-4372

Five more Democrats are leaning single-payer but still uncommitted. Please call each one and give them one crucial reason to support single-payer from our petition:

http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-petition?cid=ZGVtczQ3NTdkZW1z

(Be sure to sign our petition and forward it if you haven't already.)

Be concise and practice in advance so you can speak quickly (or leave a voicemail) because they are getting swamped. Report the results of your calls here:

http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-committee-whip

Public Option Only (or Won't Say)

Rick Boucher VA09 202-225-3861

Bruce Braley IA01 202-225-2911


G.K. Butterfield NC01 202-225-3101

Lois Capps CA23 202-225-3601

Kathy Castor FL11 202-225-3376

John Dingell MI15 202-225-4071

Charles Gonzalez TX20 202-225-3236

Jay Inslee WA01 202-225-6311 @RepInsleeNews

Doris Matsui CA05 202-225-7163

Jerry McNerney CA11 202-225-1947

John Sarbanes MD03 202-225-4016

Bart Stupak MI01 202-225-4735

Betty Sutton OH13 202-225-3401

Henry Waxman (Chair) CA30 202-225-3976

If you have more time, these 14 Democrats support a "public option" at best. But that "public option" (a new government program to compete with private insurance) was disastrously weakened this week by the BlueDogs. They banned the use of Medicare pricing to reduce costs and thereby expand availability. Try to persuade these 14 to vote for single-payer instead of a worthless BlueDog "public option."

Don't let anyone tell you single-payer can't pass: the Kucinich Amendment for a single-payer "state option" passed by a shocking 25-19 bi-partisan majority in the House Education and Labor Committee on July 17. The Weiner Amendment will pass on Friday if enough Democrats vote for it!

A victory on the Weiner Amendment would make a huge difference. Please call as soon as you get this - night or day.

Thanks for all you do!

Bob Fertik

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David Swanson

David Swanson is the author of "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by Seven Stories Press and of the introduction to "The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush" published by Feral House and available at Amazon.com. Swanson holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ConvictBushCheney.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace, a convenor of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice, and chair of the accountability and prosecution working group of United for Peace and Justice.