After casting an historic vote for health reform on Saturday night, many members in the House of Representatives are now heading home for a district work period. OFA Volunteers in Minnesota gathered at the airport bright and early on Sunday morning to greet Congressmen Walz and Ellison as they returned home from Washington.
Shortly afterward, Congressman Ellison posted to his Twitter feed:
Thanks to Obama For America MN for welcoming Tim Walz and I at the airport this morning at 8:30 am. Crew from Obama for America MN understands that the people must keep the energy HIGH until Obama signs the bill into LAW! And beyond.
In Maine, supporters were on hand to greet Representative Chellie Pingree. The Press Herald reported:
About three dozen supporters greeted Pingree as she arrived at the Portland International Jetport from Washington on Sunday morning. They carried flowers, balloons, homemade cookies and signs praising her for her vote."I just wanted to thank Chellie Pingree for stepping up and doing the right thing," said Maurie Hill, a 63-year-old retired nurse from Standish.Pingree said that although the House bill is not perfect, its passage helps move the ball forward. Her advice to her Senate colleagues?"Get voting!" she said. "It's not easy. We've been working on this for 10 months."
Representative Pingree also took to Twitter to thank supporters, posting:
Thanks so much for all the wonderful people who welcomed me at airport this morning -- made me teary! The cookies were great!!
If your representative voted for health reform last Saturday, you can use our online tools to call and thank them for their vote.
Before health reform can become law, it must pass one more time through the House of Representatives, so it's crucial to publicly show that voters support reform. Taking 30 seconds to say "thank you" could mean all the difference in the coming weeks.