Hello everyone,
For those of you who don’t know me, I was the Colorado New Media director for the Obama campaign. I’m now working with an organization called ProgressNow, which works to advance progressive politics and fight back against right wing propaganda in Colorado. We’re also working closely with OFA.
We know OFA is probably keeping you busy these days fighting for health insurance reform and we are working hard on those efforts too, in collaboration with OFA. We’ve been working to grow a listserv we call our GrassRoots Leaders. It’s made up of activists across the state and organizational leaders. And we’ve used this list to share information about events, local happenings and organizational happenings. The group also offers you a place to ask questions, find out more about the issues and learn about ways to get involved in local political action.
We’d love for you to join. Click on the link below and sign up.
http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/s/rootsleaders
By further building this group, we will to develop a comprehensive network that will give people the opportunity to stay informed and connected. We hope the Roots Leaders group will become a forum where people can discuss issues, build activism and support for local political movements in Colorado.
Thanks
Jenn
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/The-Presidents-Remarks-and-a-Letter-from-Ted/
"I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
– President Barack Obama, February 24, 2009
President Obama spoke to a special joint session of Congress and the American people to outline his plan for health insurance reform. The core of his plan: provide more security and stability for people who have insurance, provide quality, affordable care to those who don’t, and rein in skyrocketing costs that are crushing American families, businesses and the government itself.
If You Have Health Insurance More Stability and Security Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the "donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs. If You Don't Have Insurance Quality, Affordable Choices for All Americans Creates a new insurance marketplace – the Exchange – that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national "high risk" pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. For All Americans Reins In the Cost of Health Care for Our Families, Our Businesses, and Our Government Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.
We Can Afford Reform, We Can’t Afford the Status Quo
Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist for the Vice President and Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force, debunks the myth that we can’t afford health insurance reform. To the contrary, not only has the President demanded that reform not add to the deficit in the short term, but reform is the only way to get skyrocketing health care costs under control that will be devastating not for families , businesses, and for government deficits in the long term under the status quo.
Watch the Video
Earlier today, it was announced that President Obama will address a joint session of Congress on the issue of health insurance reform next Wednesday, September 9th. CNN reported:
It will be Obama's second speech to the full legislature since he took office in January, and the setting and rarity of such an event highlighted the importance the president places on his top domestic priority: overhauling the nation's ailing health care system.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid formally invited Obama to make the address, as required, in a letter issued Wednesday after news broke of the planned speech.
We'll have more information on this important speech in the days to come.
www.whitehouse.gov
Here's a look at some of the recent news coverage of the ongoing Health Insurance Reform Now bus tour:
From the Washington Post:
President Obama's supporters hope to recapture the energy of last year's triumphant election campaign in a bid to regain control of the health-care debate, planning more than 2,000 house parties, rallies and town hall meetings across the country over the next two weeks.The initiative began Wednesday with a rally at a labor hall in Phoenix that featured the Obama sunrise logo and placards that became fixtures of the 2008 presidential campaign.Organizing for America, a nationwide group of Obama supporters run by the Democratic National Committee, also brought along a colorful bus featuring the slogan, "Health Insurance Reform Now: Let's Get it Done." The vehicle is on an 11-city tour advocating for health-care reform."We think that change happens with neighbors talking to neighbors, and these rallies reflect that," said DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan. "That's how we won the campaign in the fall, with grass-roots organizing, and that's what we will see in these events going forward."
From the Denver Post:
President Barack Obama's Organizing for America team rolled its bright- blue bus into Denver on Friday evening and was greeted by about 1,500 supporters of health care reform at a rally at North High School."This is easily the biggest crowd we've seen," group organizer Mitch Stewart said as he stepped off the touring bus at the third of 10 stops across the country.Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., had already warmed up the crowd."My daughter has epilepsy, and she's being discriminated against because of her prior condition," he told the cheering crowd. "We're not going to let her get pushed aside...Michele Tyler, 61, of Evergreen said she came to the rally because her health policy with Humana won't cover a fourth surgery she needs for a badly broken ankle. In addition to the exclusion of her ankle, her policy has a $5,000 deductible, she said."My husband, who's self-employed, has ulcerative colitis, and Humana dropped him when he turned 60 in 2007," she said. "He's now covered by state insurance, Cover Colorado. We need to change this. This isn't right..."The crowd in Denver was mostly older, with varying degrees of gray hair, with many minorities and children. The rally was organized by Obama staffers and Democratic Party workers who contacted supporters through e-mail, telephone banks, robo-calls and volunteers.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Supporters of President Barack Obama's health care plan rallied Saturday night outside the Summerfest grounds, chanting "Let's Get it Done" and presenting more than 24,000 "declarations of support" to Wisconsin's congressional delegation.Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who died Tuesday and fought for health care reform for decades, was remembered with a moment of silence and a call to arms."He was a giant on whose shoulders we all stood," said Meagan Holman, a Milwaukeean who worked on Kennedy's staff for more than 10 years. In an emotional address, she said she didn't travel to Kennedy's funeral Saturday because she and her husband are still paying off bills from a high-risk pregnancy more than two years ago."Today, we buried our health care champion," said Bruce Coburn, director of the Service Employees International Union. "Tonight, we say, 'Don't mourn. It's time to organize.' This is the Super Bowl of that fight for change..."The declarations of support were delivered to Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), as she and other members of Congress return to Washington.Organizers told stories in support of better coverage.Dream Gunther said she has good health insurance as a Milwaukee Public Schools teacher but remembers growing up with inadequate health insurance."We were the working poor," she said. "When we got sick, we didn't go to the doctor." She described how her twin sister, Keona, who also was at the rally, became ill and didn't want to tell their parents. "She said, 'What could they do if we tell them?' I felt what 47 million Americans feel every day."Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said it's time insurance companies changed. "Everyone else in the 20th century has had to evolve. Why can't the insurance industry?" she asked.
And from the Des Moines Register:
As the sun began to set, Miller and Mitch Stewart, director of Organizing for America, reflected on the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat., and called on members of Congress to take up Kennedy’s passion for working in a bipartisan manner on liberal issues, specifically health care reform.Stewart read a statement from President Barack Obama that called Kennedy “the greatest United States senator of our time,” then urged the mostly democratic crowd for its support in passing health care reform.“The status quo is no longer sustainable,” Stewart said. “This is serious, every one of us has something to lose here...”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/08/21/Weekly-Address-The-Moral-Case-for-Health-Insurance-Reform/
President Obama debunks the myths around health insurance reform, and discusses the public option proposal in which many of them are rooted -- but he focuses his address on the stark moral and historical turning point at which we find ourselves: "This is our chance to march forward. I cannot promise you that the reforms we seek will be perfect or make a difference overnight. But I can promise you this: if we pass health insurance reform, we will look back many years from now and say, this was the moment we summoned what’s best in each of us to make life better for all of us. This was the moment we built a health care system worthy of the nation and the people we love. This was the moment we earned our place alongside the greatest generations. And that is what our generation of Americans is called to do right now."
Since the White House’s Reality Check site launched, we’ve seen incredible response from individuals eager to get the facts about health insurance reform and pass them along to family and friends.An ironic development is that the launch of an online program meant to provide facts about health insurance reform has itself become the target of fear-mongering and online rumors that are the tactics of choice for the defenders of the status quo.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/An-Update-on-Reality-Check/
The Indian Health Service will be fine and Native Americans will benefit
Kimberly Teehee, Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs at the White House Domestic Policy Council, debunks myths being spread about how health insurance reform will affect the Indian Health Service. To the contrary, reform will allow Native Americans to keep the care they have now and has benefits for every American.
Reform will eliminate insurance discrimination against the disabled
Mike Strautmanis, Chief of Staff for Valerie Jarrett and father of a child with a disability, addresses the myth that health insurance reform will mean children with disabilities will not get the care they need. To the contrary, reform will make insurance more affordable, provide more options, and eliminate discrimination in purchasing health insurance so families won't be turned down if a parent or child has a pre-existing disability or other health condition.
The return of the viral email
There are quite a few "viral emails" floating around, making outlandish claims about health insurance reform and pretending to be careful analyses of the bills moving through Congress. Drafted to appear as if they are written by concerned citizens, more often the information comes from organizations with a strident agenda to protect the status quo. White House Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle takes on one of the most prevalent emails directly.
Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it
Kavita Patel, who works with Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett and who worked for years before as a physician, debunks the myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
The "euthanasia" distortion on help for families
Melody Barnes, the President's Director of the Domestic Policy Council, debunks the malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors.
Vets' health care is safe and sound
Matt Flavin, Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy, explains that nothing in health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget greatly expands coverage for veterans who have been denied access in the past.
Reform will benefit small business - not burden it
Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, debunks the myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform
Robert Kocher of the National Economic Council debunks the myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform would simply eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies.
You can keep your own insurance
Linda Douglass of the White House Office of Health Reform debunks the myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Real-Conversations-about-Health-Insurance-Reform/
The President talks about how the chatter and ruckus around health insurance reform on television obscures the reality of what's happening in America. He discusses how in most towns people and Members of Congress are having constructive conversations, and how people are learning how reform will help them and their families with the real problems they have faced with the insurance system.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Taking-Questions-on-Health-Reform-in-New-Hampshire/
The President hosted a town hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on health insurance reform, telling the crowd, "I don't think government bureaucrats should be meddling, but I also don't think insurance company bureaucrats should be meddling. That's the health care system I believe in." The President was introduced by Lori, a woman who can’t find coverage because of her medical condition. We all know someone like Lori who has been discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions, and can't receive the care they need. This is a personal issue for the President, who recounted his mother's battle with insurance companies as she battled with cancer in the last months of her life.
The President outlined how his plan will end these unfair, and often deadly, practices:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cqQl3lZzzE
We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on.
We have an urgent moral obligation to change the health care system in this country so that every American has access to affordable, quality health care.
Yet at a town hall in Pueblo on Saturday, Sen. Michael Bennet was greeted by a self-described "mob" with chants of "Health care...NO!" and "I hate Obama-nation."
While we should have a substantive conversation about health care, we cannot back down in the face of these intimidation tactics.
Any health care reform bill should control costs, allow people to keep their own medical plan and their own doctor, increase competition, and increase coverage -- all in a fiscally responsible way.
Providing patients with a public insurance option -- that increases competition and drives down prices -- would help to achieve these goals.
Watch the video from Michael's town hall in Pueblo and sign the petition to support health care reform today.
Washington, DC -- Legislation introduced by Michael Bennet to protect the eligibility of military families for income sensitive child nutrition programs passed the Senate yesterday.
Bennet introduced the Military Family Nutrition Protection Act of 2009 so military families will not be penalized for their service to our country.
Under previous guidelines the additional pay received by military personnel when deployed was factored into determining eligibility for several child nutrition programs. These programs include the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). WIC provides health care and nutrition assistance for mothers and infants, including vouchers for food.
"Taking away these nutritional benefits to kids and families when a loved one is being deployed doesn’t make any sense. Our military families are already struggling in these tough economic times and the challenges only increase when a family member is deployed,” Bennet said. “This bill is a common-sense fix that will make sure our kids aren’t denied access to healthy foods when their family members are bravely serving our nation in combat overseas."
Bennet introduced this bipartisan legislation with Mike Johanns (NE-R) and Bob Casey (PA-D).
Denver, CO -- Michael Bennet continued his push for health care reform during a visit on Monday to St. Joseph Hospital in Denver.
Bennet pointed to runaway costs as a problem underlying all aspects of our health care system.
"Having to plan around a double-digit increase every year is simply intolerable," said Bennet.
Bennet stressed that our current system must be changed to empower doctors, nurses and patients, rather than insurance companies.
Our current health insurance structure was cited by the medical professionals in attendance as a source of increased medical costs. The Denver Post has more:
Medical providers talked about the costly and time-consuming process of processing insurance claims.Dr. Janet Steele of Larimer County said she deals with 65 different insurance companies, all with different rules, "at an enormous cost to the bottom."Bennet noted the problem is even worse in rural Colorado.
Medical providers talked about the costly and time-consuming process of processing insurance claims.
Dr. Janet Steele of Larimer County said she deals with 65 different insurance companies, all with different rules, "at an enormous cost to the bottom."
Bennet noted the problem is even worse in rural Colorado.
Michael Bennet discussed the factors he thinks are essential to improving performance in our schools in a National Journal blog post on July 30.Bennet emphasized that great teachers are the key factor in improving student performance. For that reason, it is important that the best talent is drawn into the teaching profession. To ensure this happens we need to reexamine and improve the way teachers are recruited, hired and compensated.Bennet also urged that improving student performance starts with sending our kids to school ready to learn. Increasing the access and quality of early childhood education will mean more kids are prepared when school starts. We also need to make sure our children aren't going to school hungry or sick because that makes learning more difficult.Bennet stressed that meaningful education reform is going to be a community effort. From the National Journal:
Our schools should be centers for communities, delivering services, providing opportunities for families to learn together, and engaging entire communities in raising expectations for our students. If we expect failure from our schools, that's exactly what we'll get. Communities must own outcomes, and challenge the status quo. If a city does not pick up the trash, or shovel the snow, there is public outrage. Surely, we can muster that kind of outrage in response to what is happening to our kids.When I was a superintendent, I was often asked if I was afraid of the unintended consequences of the changes we were making. My reaction was, and still is, that the burden of proof is not on the people who want to change the system. The burden is on people who resist change, and work to keep the system the same. We have to break free from existing policies that don’t work and never will, and we have to learn from our mistakes. Our kids are depending on us to show the courage to change. Let’s get to work so we can meet this challenge.
Washington, DC -- Michael Bennet took steps this week to fight our enormous budget deficit by voting against wasteful government programs, and introducing legislation to guarantee more responsible spending by Congress.Bennet explained that, “Coloradans have been forced to tighten their fiscal belts. It’s time the government did too.”The Denver Post has more on the efforts by Bennet to reduce our budget deficit:
As he defines his still fuzzy political persona, Sen. Michael Bennet is honing in on the words "deficit hawk," with two significant moves in that direction this week.On Tuesday, he voted to strip $1.75 billion in additional funding for the F-22 fighter jet. And Wednesday, Bennet scored a coup, announcing that he would be the primary co-sponsor in the Senate of the "pay as you go" legislation that just passed the House."One of his highest concerns is the deficit and debt, and how we're going to lower it. He believes that's a huge economic problem for our country," said Bennet's spokeswoman, Deirdre Murphy. "That's pretty much ground zero."Known as pay-go for short, the legislation would require new spending to be offset by increased taxes or cuts in other programs. If that doesn't happen, automatic cuts kick in — giving the process more teeth than current Senate rules meant to do the same thing.
Denver, CO -- More than 50 supporters of Organizing for America gathered for a conversation about the urgency of reforming our health care system at Michael Bennet's Denver office today.Today's health care conversation comes the day after President Barack Obama held a prime time news conference pressing the need to reform our health care system.President Obama emphasized that reforming health care will improve the lives of millions of Americans, "This is about the woman in Colorado who paid $700 a month to her insurance company, only to find out that they wouldn't pay a dime for her cancer treatment; who had to use up her retirement funds to save her own life."Michael Bennet spoke earlier this month in Colorado Springs about the principles he believes should guide health care reform: lowering costs, making coverage available to all Americans and not passing the costs of reform onto our children. Click here to see footage of Bennet’s comments.Organizing for America supporters have been holding events nationwide to show opponents of change that Americans want health reform now. Earlier this week opponents of health care reform predicted its defeat will be President Obama's "Waterloo moment".
Stand with President Obama on Health Care
I know this is long, but it is very important. We can’t afford to be apathetic, and carefree this time. I am calling on you, ordinary citizens, Democrats and Republicans, Independents every citizen from the Appalachian Mountains to the Youth in the Hood to put aside your politics and support health care reform. The debate going on now should not be political; we are at war with the powerful lobbyists for the health and life of our families.
Everyone agrees that we need health care reform. It is the number one expenditure for most families other than their rent and mortgage. Millions of Americans have inadequate health care or no health care at all. Of these millions of uninsured and underinsured, I am certain that they are not all just Democrats. These uninsured and under insured, are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. So why have we allowed this debate to be a political one. Republicans and Independents need health care too. It is ridiculous too to assume that the only people who are uninsured or under insured are Democrats. Get real people, health care reform is for all Americans not just for one political party. Let put politics aside and support our President’s effort to help all of US.
GOP Senator Jim DeMint told a special-interest attack group that if they're "able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." And Republican Chairman Michael Steele backed up DeMint's statement 100%. At the same time, the Republican National Committee is running deceptive ads to scare Americans away from the reform we need.
Their plan is simple: oppose health care reform as a political ploy to weaken the President and defeat his entire agenda of change. The GOP is playing with our lives to stop Obama!!!! That’s what this debate has been about for them. Well, I am outraged, and you should be too.
President Obama said, "Think about that. This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses and breaking America's economy. And we can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care. Not this time, not now. There are too many lives and livelihoods at stake."
I am asking all citizens of every stripe to stand with the President, stand with US. Stand against special interests, lobbyist and opponents of health care reform in Washington who have made their priority clear: attack President Obama at any cost. President Obama is not just President of the Democrats, he is the President of All the citizens of the United States of America. America, please support YOUR President.
It’s obvious what the crooked politicians get out of it, however, this corruption is widespread, lobbyist have even gotten to the media. We can't let this kind of slash and burn politics succeed. We can fight back by collecting as many signatures as possible backing the President's principles for health care reform. A huge response will show Washington and the media that when Republicans try to "break" the President, Americans are ready to stand up for what's right.
The President has consistently argued that health care reform must: reduce costs, guarantee choice -- including the choice of a strong public insurance option -- and ensure all Americans have quality, affordable health care. These principles are the key to keeping our country healthy -- and protecting our families, businesses, and economy from costs that are spiraling out of control. It's the change the American people voted for and so desperately need.
But special interests and Republican leaders are so concerned with scoring points and destroying Obama that they are willing to cut off their noses to spite their face. They seem to think health care reform is a political game. They are literally playing politics with our lives and livelihood, and it has to stop.
We know that they will not "break" President Obama or the movement that supports him. And if we work together, they will not stop congress from enacting the real health care reform that Americans need and demand.
They don’t care about US
Why is it that all the people speaking out against health care reform have health insurance for themselves and their families. Shouldn’t they be listening to US. What we want, what we need!
But this is more than just the GOP playing politics some how that perhaps could have been expected. But it is also about corruption and greed. I think that some of the Democrats, Republicans and Independents have succumbed to the millions of dollars being thrown around by Insurance, Pharma and Hospital lobbyist.
Some senators who oppose this are not listening to the constituents that put them in office. They are not listening to YOU. You put them in office, however, the insurance companies have deep pockets and they cannot resist the lure of all that money. They sold US out to the highest bidder. I believe that some senators are brought and paid for and some in the media too. Sadly, it is working they want to line their pockets instead of support health care reform.
Congressional Budget Office Director commented that the House and Senate health bills would not rein in health care costs. But what they were saying is that health care reform cannot happen unless we are more efficient in the delivery of health care and cut out the waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system.
Republicans pounced on the remarks to fan the flames and sow discord among the Democratic Senators. Those comments taken out of proportion has given the greedy just the excuse they needed. They are still working on the bill, and will find the cost savings.
Another thing the GOP and the Media have pounced on are the comments made by Max Bacus that The President is not helping. What he meant is that President Obama’s doesn’t want to tax health benefits and that does is making it harder to fund health care reform.
Well I have my own ideas about funding. I want to privatize NASA and let the private industry that benefits the most take it over. The technology that is advanced from the NASA experiments benefit private industry so they should pay for it. I would rather use those trillions of dollars saved to fund health care for American citizens. Space exploration is a luxury that we cannot afford. Take care of home first, take care of the problems on this planet before we waste money in outer space, this is ridiculous we need that money here on earth. All the GPS systems, satellites, etc that are built from the technological experiments that are conducted in space are sold back to the United States by private industry. We are paying twice for technology that we discovered, I really don’t get that.
The other funding method that I advocate is to reform Medicare so that we are not paying for Medicare benefits for multi-millionaires. At this time every person over 65 is eligible for Medicare whether they need Medicare or not. It is just automatically given out to anyone who turns 65. Medicare is not Social Security. Every one who worked all their lives is entitle to the commensurate amount of Social Security that they heard. But Medicare should only be for those who need it. If you are a millionaire, you don’t need Medicare, you know you can afford your own health insurance. Its there for the taking so people just take it without thinking. There should be an income cap on Medicare. I don’t want to tax the wealthy to pay health care reform. I just want those who can afford to pay for their own to do just that. That’s my idea and I am sure you can think of some other cost saving methods. We can do it, yes, we can.
Don’t be scared by all the crazy ads you see on TV sponsored by the powerful lobbies. There will be no rationing or exclusion of pre-existing conditions. It is time, for the richest Country in the World to provide health care for All it citizens now.
Cut and trim and find the money. Look at NASA and all the other programs that don’t have any intrinsic value to the people. Oh it nice to ooh and aah about the space program, but it is time for the government to get out of that business, it is really not value added to the people.
I heard some one in the media suggest recently that the reason some politicians won’t support health care reform is that the millions of people who are uninsured or under insured don’t vote. So it back to that old adage that if you don’t vote, you don’t count. They have already counted you out of this equation. You better have your say on this before its too late.
Politicians are only concerned about their voting constituents. Well voting or not, you represents all of the people in your districts. We must let our voices be heard. Tell your representatives loud and clear. WE WANT HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS NOW!
Wake up people we can’t expect some one else to do this, we must rise up and do this for ourselves. Go to http://www.democrats.org/declare and sign the declaration of support for health care reform. Go to www.whitehouse.gov and enter your zip code to find the contact information for your congressional and senate representatives and let them know you want health care for ALL.
Again, please declare your support today. Sign your name in support of the President's health care principles. Or if you've already signed, please forward this message to all your friends and neighbors.
Raise a Rukus today.
Centennial, CO -- Michael Bennet engaged in a wide-ranging conversation with the Arapahoe County Young Democrats and the ArapaHope Community Team on Saturday, June 27. A large number of the crowd's questions for Michael concerned fixing our dysfunctional health care system.
Bennet told the crowd that changes must be made to our health care system because too many people aren't getting the care they need. He stressed the urgent need for health care reform that provides affordable access to quality health care for all Coloradans. Bennet said he is open to any fiscally responsible solution, including a public option, that will put an end to soaring health care costs while preserving patient choice.
Photo courtesy of Gena Ozols, President, Arapahoe County Young Democrats.
Washington, DC -- Michael Bennet pushed the case for reforming our broken health care system during a floor speech on June 25. Bennet cited skyrocketing health care costs as a barrier that prevents increasing numbers of Coloradans from receiving the medical services they need.
During his speech Bennet called for responsible solutions to our health care problems that won't "pass on the cost to the next generation in the form of increased deficits and debt." Bennet said the usual political gamesmanship -- on both sides of the aisle -- will need to be set-aside for meaningful, positive reforms to be enacted.
Bennet singled out the story of a woman in Pueblo as an example of what is wrong with our current health care system. The Pueblo Chieftain has more on her story:
Bennet, a freshman Democrat, said the real median income of American families has declined over the past decade while the cost of health insurance nearly doubled.He cited as examples the cases of Theresa Trujillo of Pueblo and the small town of Blanca, in Costilla County.In Trujillo's case, Bennet noted the young woman was forced to take out a loan to pay for breast cancer chemotherapy when her company-paid health coverage ran out.
Bennet, a freshman Democrat, said the real median income of American families has declined over the past decade while the cost of health insurance nearly doubled.
He cited as examples the cases of Theresa Trujillo of Pueblo and the small town of Blanca, in Costilla County.
In Trujillo's case, Bennet noted the young woman was forced to take out a loan to pay for breast cancer chemotherapy when her company-paid health coverage ran out.
Thornton, CO -- Sen. Mark Udall provided a key endorsement for Michael Bennet on Saturday, June 20. Udall says Bennet is, "The right person at the right time." He went on to say he looks forward to working with Michael to get things done in Washington. Click here for video of Udall's comments.
