Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee and who recently killed a public insurance option in the bill his committee approved, has more than a passing interest in the current health care debate.
In the past five years, Senator Baucus has received $1,066,188 (according to www.opensecrets.org) in campaign contributions from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries not including an extra $510,941 from health care professionals. That’s a total of more than $1.5 million.
42% of all of the money he has raised in that time period, $4.9 million, has come for political action committees, not individual donors.
Pharmaceutical companies certainly approve of Senator Baucus and the Finance Committee’s version of health care which not only voted against a pubic option but also counted out any prescription drug negotiations. “We remain convinced that the approach taken by the Senate Finance Committee provides the best blueprint for comprehensive reform,” said Ken Johnson a senior vice president for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a lobbying group that has given Baucus $10,000 in the last five years.
In a cursory review of his voting record, Senator Baucus has voted:
NO to prevent mortgage foreclosures and preserve home values. – Vote 174: S 896: Durbin Amdt. No. 1014;
NO to restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia. – Vote 72: S 160: Ensign Amdt. No. 575;
NO to provide assistance for States with percentages of children with no health insurance coverage above the national average. – Vote 30: H R 2: Hutchison Amdt. No. 93;
NO to protect family businesses and farmers without increasing our nation's debt by providing for an estate tax that sets the exemption at $5 million and the rate at 35 percent, with the benefits of the exemption recaptured for estates over $100 million, paid for by closing tax loopholes that allow offshore deferral of compensation and transactions entered into solely for the purpose of avoiding taxation. – Vote 76: S CON RES 70: Landrieu Amdt. No. 4378;
NO to provide sufficient funding and incentives to increase the enrollment of uninsured children. – Vote 292: H R 976: Kerry Amdt. No. 2602 As Modified;
Please contact Senator Max Baucus to let him know that regardless how much money he has been paid by pharmaceutical and insurance lobbies, you support a public option in health care reform:
http://baucus.senate.gov/
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651 (Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)
Sources for this post include:
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00004643&cycle=2010
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/b000243/votes/against-party/
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?commid=C00021972&page=campaigns&order=TOTAL&cycle=2005-2006
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/fec/?commid=C00021972&page=campaigns&order=TOTAL&cycle=2007-2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLVUQM6eOQwc&pos=7
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Lone Republican: Anh Cao
There was only one Republican Congressman who stood up for his constituents and voted in favor of the House health care bill. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-LA.) went against his minority leadership and voted for the public option saying, “...at this time we have the duty to provide all our people with the necessary medical coverage because it is an issue of life and death for many people in this country.” Granted he represents a very Democratic district, barely beating by a few percentage points an incumbent who had been indicted on federal corruption charges. It is still worth applauding any bi-partisanship we can get.
See the whole article from rollcall.com:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/40429-1.html
See the whole article from rollcall.com:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/40429-1.html
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Send a letter to Senators who oppose a public option.
Send a letter to Senators who oppose a public option.
There are a group of Democratic and Independent Senators that either oppose a public health insurance option or are simply dragging their feet on supporting reform for their own political purposes. These Senators might not represent your state. That does not mean that you cannot show them your support for a public option. Each Senator wields a large amount of power that affects you an American regardless of what state you live in. Therefore it is important to let them know that you want them to vote in favor of a public option.
Here is a good site that contains a list of Senators (and their contact info) that who either oppose a public option or could use some encouragement:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8516732
Let them know you support a public option.
Please take a moment to send a letter to those Senators that oppose a public option. You can copy and paste the letter below for your convenience. Feel free to read and rewrite anything that you think expresses you views more accurately. The most important thing is that you send these Senators a letter showing your support for a public option.
__________________________________________________________________
A letter supporting a public option for Democratic Senators not in your state:
Dear Senator ____________,
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
The mid-term elections are just around the corner. The future of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate is in question. I can’t imagine that running away from our President and the key issue of the current administration is a path to victory, not for the Democratic Party and (Remove for Independents.) not for the American people. A vote for anything that does not provide a public option is a vote in favor of the insurance lobby and the Republican Party. Now is the time to take action and pass historic legislation that will benefit generations of Americans to come.
While I am not a resident of your state, your decisions affect me as an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country and your party (Remove for Independents.) need you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
__________________________________________________________________
(a note about this letter: you might want to take out the parts about the "Democratic Party" and "your party" when sending to Independent Senators)
I hope that's not confusing.
Encourage like-minded people to support a public option.
Thank you for taking your time to send letters to Senators whose votes are greatly in order to pass real health care reform. If you are looking to do more, one additional way to help is to encourage friends and family to also send letters to their Senators and those Senators who might be out of their state but oppose a public option. Letting politicians know how we feel about the challenges that we as Americans face is a cornerstone to a healthy democracy.
Thanks again.
There are a group of Democratic and Independent Senators that either oppose a public health insurance option or are simply dragging their feet on supporting reform for their own political purposes. These Senators might not represent your state. That does not mean that you cannot show them your support for a public option. Each Senator wields a large amount of power that affects you an American regardless of what state you live in. Therefore it is important to let them know that you want them to vote in favor of a public option.
Here is a good site that contains a list of Senators (and their contact info) that who either oppose a public option or could use some encouragement:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8516732
Let them know you support a public option.
Please take a moment to send a letter to those Senators that oppose a public option. You can copy and paste the letter below for your convenience. Feel free to read and rewrite anything that you think expresses you views more accurately. The most important thing is that you send these Senators a letter showing your support for a public option.
__________________________________________________________________
A letter supporting a public option for Democratic Senators not in your state:
Dear Senator ____________,
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
The mid-term elections are just around the corner. The future of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate is in question. I can’t imagine that running away from our President and the key issue of the current administration is a path to victory, not for the Democratic Party and (Remove for Independents.) not for the American people. A vote for anything that does not provide a public option is a vote in favor of the insurance lobby and the Republican Party. Now is the time to take action and pass historic legislation that will benefit generations of Americans to come.
While I am not a resident of your state, your decisions affect me as an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country and your party (Remove for Independents.) need you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
__________________________________________________________________
(a note about this letter: you might want to take out the parts about the "Democratic Party" and "your party" when sending to Independent Senators)
I hope that's not confusing.
Encourage like-minded people to support a public option.
Thank you for taking your time to send letters to Senators whose votes are greatly in order to pass real health care reform. If you are looking to do more, one additional way to help is to encourage friends and family to also send letters to their Senators and those Senators who might be out of their state but oppose a public option. Letting politicians know how we feel about the challenges that we as Americans face is a cornerstone to a healthy democracy.
Thanks again.
Send A Letter to Your Senator
Support a public option.
The purpose of this blog is to provide a resource for people who want to show their support for health care reform legislation that includes a public insurance option. President Obama has made health care reform a key issue for his administration to tackle. He has stated that a public option is the best way to achieve real reform. The President has undertaken such an ambitious agenda for the American people at great political risk. President Obama needs our support in order in for us to finally have a health care system that works for us and takes care of all Americans.
Send a letter to your Senator.
Please take a moment of your time to send a letter to your Senator. The U.S. House or Representatives has just passed a health care bill that includes a public option. Now it’s the Senate’s turn. This is a letter of support for Senate health care legislation that also includes a public insurance option that you can send to your Senator. You can copy and paste this for your convenience. Please read and feel free to rewrite anything that makes you more comfortable expressing your point of view. The most important thing is for you to let your Senator know that you support a public option and expect a vote in favor of one.
__________________________________________________________________
A letter for Democratic Senators:
Dear Senator (type your Senator's name here),
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
The mid-term elections are just around the corner. The future of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate is in question. I can’t imagine that running away from our President and the key issue of the current administration is a path to victory, not for the Democratic Party and not for the American people. A vote for anything that does not provide a public option is a vote in favor of the insurance lobby and the Republican Party. Now is the time to take action and pass historic legislation that will benefit generations of Americans to come.
Your decisions affect me as a (type your state here) resident and an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country and your party need you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
A letter for all Senators:
Dear Senator (type your Senator's name here),
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
Improving a broken health care system is a non-partisan issue. Americans want and deserve affordable health care. Please don’t play politics with the health of the American people. Any politician who is interested in practicing party politics at the expense of health care reform is putting their party’s interest over that of the people’s and is on the wrong side of history. Please vote in favor of improving the lives of Americans regardless of ideology or rhetoric.
Your decisions affect me as a (type your state here) resident and an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country needs you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
__________________________________________________________________
Find your Senator.
You can send this letter by mail or through your Senator’s website. It also wouldn’t hurt to do both. To find your Senator and their contact information go to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Let your voice be heard.
Thank you for taking the time to write to your senator. It is important or us to do our part to ensure that our voices are heard by those who represent us. This is key to our democracy.
The purpose of this blog is to provide a resource for people who want to show their support for health care reform legislation that includes a public insurance option. President Obama has made health care reform a key issue for his administration to tackle. He has stated that a public option is the best way to achieve real reform. The President has undertaken such an ambitious agenda for the American people at great political risk. President Obama needs our support in order in for us to finally have a health care system that works for us and takes care of all Americans.
Send a letter to your Senator.
Please take a moment of your time to send a letter to your Senator. The U.S. House or Representatives has just passed a health care bill that includes a public option. Now it’s the Senate’s turn. This is a letter of support for Senate health care legislation that also includes a public insurance option that you can send to your Senator. You can copy and paste this for your convenience. Please read and feel free to rewrite anything that makes you more comfortable expressing your point of view. The most important thing is for you to let your Senator know that you support a public option and expect a vote in favor of one.
__________________________________________________________________
A letter for Democratic Senators:
Dear Senator (type your Senator's name here),
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
The mid-term elections are just around the corner. The future of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate is in question. I can’t imagine that running away from our President and the key issue of the current administration is a path to victory, not for the Democratic Party and not for the American people. A vote for anything that does not provide a public option is a vote in favor of the insurance lobby and the Republican Party. Now is the time to take action and pass historic legislation that will benefit generations of Americans to come.
Your decisions affect me as a (type your state here) resident and an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country and your party need you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
__________________________________________________________________Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
A letter for all Senators:
Dear Senator (type your Senator's name here),
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step forward in passing health care reform legislation that includes a public option. Both the AMA and AARP have agreed with the American people that our current health care system is broken. The only way to reform our system is to lower health care costs and create competition among insurance companies by providing a public insurance option.
Improving a broken health care system is a non-partisan issue. Americans want and deserve affordable health care. Please don’t play politics with the health of the American people. Any politician who is interested in practicing party politics at the expense of health care reform is putting their party’s interest over that of the people’s and is on the wrong side of history. Please vote in favor of improving the lives of Americans regardless of ideology or rhetoric.
Your decisions affect me as a (type your state here) resident and an American citizen. I implore you to support and vote in favor for health care legislation in the Senate that includes a public insurance option. It is a difficult political decision to make, but your country needs you to do the hard thing, the right thing for the people of your state and the people of the United State of America. Please vote in favor of a public health insurance option.
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
Sincerely,
(your name)
(street address)
(city, state, zip code)
__________________________________________________________________
Find your Senator.
You can send this letter by mail or through your Senator’s website. It also wouldn’t hurt to do both. To find your Senator and their contact information go to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Let your voice be heard.
Thank you for taking the time to write to your senator. It is important or us to do our part to ensure that our voices are heard by those who represent us. This is key to our democracy.
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