Gratitude, Disappointment, and Outrage
Posted on November 9th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in Congress Watch|
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If the aftermath of the historic health care vote in the House of Representatives on Saturday - the first time the House has every passed a comprehensive health care bill - the voting Members of Congress can be broken down into three distinct groups.
For those who did the right thing, who voted for health care for all on Saturday, today is a day filled with praise.
When Representative Chellie Pingree stepped off her plane in Portland, Maine this morning, dozens of supporters were there to greet her and thank her for her vote. Hundreds of similar meetings and greetings are planned today by constituents to make sure the Members of Congress who came down on the YES side of the ledger on Saturday know that their historic vote was noted and appreciated.
(For those House members who voted to deny some women what most insurance coverage has now, the right to abortion services, the message must be tempered with the reminder that when we say health care for all, we also mean preserving the reproductive health care coverage women currently have.)
For those Democrats who voted to deny health reform for America, today is a day of disappointment.
The bill before the House on Saturday would provide tax credits needed so that everyone can finally afford health care. The bill would outlaw insurance industry bad practices such as denial of care for pre-existing conditions. And the bill would finally take on the insurance industry's monopoly by increasing competition with the choice of a national public health insurance option.
The reasons for their NO votes are likely numerous, but no reason, however important, is enough to vote against this country's top priority. Fortunately for these Representatives, they'll get another chance. After health care passes the Senate and the two bills are merged in conference, the House of Representatives will again consider a health care bill. These 39 Democrats will have a final choice to make - side with us or with the insurance industry.
And finally, for those Republicans who voted against health reform, and who stood up and brazenly lied for hours on the House floor about this bill, today is a day of outrage.
The falsehoods, exaggerations, and misdirections in Republican health care speeches on Saturday are legion. Media Matters Action Network has covered them in detail. Some of the most egregious were Representative Camp's insistence that the bill would send people to jail, and Representative Boehner's insistence that the GOP "alternative" would solve any of our health care problems, a falsehood defly dispatched by Representative Tierney. But perhaps the biggest outrage was the Republican attempt to stop Democratic women from even speaking on the House floor. Click and watch that video, it clearly makes the point.
Voting against America and for the insurance companies won't be tolerated, especially given that Republicans utterly failed to come up with a credible alternative solution. History, and the country's electorate, will judge them for it.
Now, in which of these categories does your Representative fit? Click here to look up your Representative and find out how they voted. You can send them a message about their vote with your thoughts as well.
On Saturday, history took another step forward. All eyes are now on the Senate.
That is very disgusting! Put this on TV so that the entire nation get to see how dirty the Republicans are, censoring and bullying the ladies her right to speak??? Wow….
It is quite astounding how the conservatives are still trying to shoot down health care. The ball is motion and I pray it keeps rolling.
It really causes one to question what certain party member’s motivations are? How much money is being siphoned into political pockets by pharmaceuticals and insurers in order to silence a movement toward improving the well being of the entire nation.
There is a reason this country was recently listed as the 37th best country for health care.http://www.ourblook.com/component/option,com_sectionex/Itemid,200076/id,8/view,category/#catid107
Thankfully our President has uncanny patience. How he maintains his calm in the face of pure buffoons is astounding and a glorious gift to the health care movement. It is a very emotional subject for the 45+million Americans who cannot afford insurance under the current system’s stronghold, and at this point in our history that is simply unacceptable.
Change is on the brink!