Everything has gone quiet lately…too quiet. Either party leaders have some kind of eleven dimensional chess plan in motion, as John Chait thinks, or the issue honestly has moved to a back burner. I might feel more encouraged if the President would whip support for a specific plan of action (like, again, he did for Ben Bernanke) rather than these vague words of encouragement that we heard at the SOTU and after. On the other hand, if he truly is waiting for Godot Snowe then we are all hosed.
Pestering your elected officials can’t hurt. Even if we don’t win it will feel better than yelling at the TV.
The switchboard: 202-224-3121.
Guide for newbies here.
burnspbesq
According to this, the holdup is due to the parliamentarians trying to figure out how to pass amendments to a bill that isn’t law yet.
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/senate-aides-identify-key-roadblock-to-passing-reform-via-reconciliation/
If I were a pessimist and a cynic, I might think that was just a CYA exercise to explain to the credulous why nothing could be done. I try to avoid being those things.
gnomedad
Sorry, help me again to frame this. Do I threaten my Repub rep with not voting for her? As if I intend to? Seriously, she is about as “moderate” as Repubs come these days (Biggert) but no way can I see her voting for the bill.
beltane
Health care seems to have gone out with a whimper. Better than going out with a bang, I suppose, but not much better.
Leo
@burnspbesq: Unfortunately, I expect the procedural barriers are real. From what I’ve read of Senate procedural rules (albeit not on this topic specifically) it’s pretty clear that that institution is set up to create as many barriers and veto points as possible.
geemoney
Can we kill the 11th dimensional chess thing? There’s only 10.
Okay, mostly I just wanted to post a link to that video, which I think is awesome.
What Tim F. said; keep up the pressure.
Joe Beese
Don’t worry. I’m sure Obama has plenty of effective concrete steps in mind and that the public “vague words” are only due to some oversight on someone’s part. The speechwriter’s, perhaps.
Yeah, that’s got to be it.
eemom
here in the Confederacy our “senate” is the first to pass one of those “dare ya to cover the uninsured” bullshit bills purporting to make it illegal to require the purchase of health insurance, which is not only infuriating but ridiculous, because such law would be preempted before you could say “whistlin Dixie.”
Nevertheless the front page of the Kaplan Times is talking it up like it’s some bold move that is sending every elected Democrat in the state running for cover. Not until about the 18th paragraph buried on page A6 do they deign to report that legally speaking the whole thing is a charade.
I’m crawling in with the Groundhog.
David in NY
I think the message to officeholders of all persuasions is “do something about health care now.” We need it. Specific threats not necessary.
I intend to note that I could use HCR right away, because I’ve got a kid graduating from college in June, and, given the economy, he’s got dicey employment prospects, especially for employment carrying full health benefits. It would be incredibly useful if he could continue to be covered under my insurance for a few years. So hurry up, already.
By the way, given the lack of immediacy involved, sending an actual letter (you know, the thing you put on paper, in a stamped envelope), would probably be really powerful. The kid noted above has worked as an intern for a congressperson, and he says letters get noticed, more than phone calls and much more than e-mails.
KDP
Stark’s staff has been provided with no position to pass on to interested constituents. The email response I received from him did not say much. To summarize that response:
His staffer said “If you give me your contact information, Congressman Stark will respond personally.” Perhaps I should have given my information; instead I became peevish and said that I’d done that already and received a response that didn’t state a position so I was unsatisfied with the responsiveness of the Congressman to my express request for a position statement.
Will contact Senators later.
Houstonian
Called my Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee yesterday. Her intern told me that she will most likely be signing the Polis/Pingree letter “in the next few days.” I didn’t know what that was, but looked it up apparently it pushes for including the public option with reconciliation in the Senate. Here is some info.
They really move at a snail’s pace. She “probably will be signing a letter.” Sheesh. As if that’s going to make anything happen. At least it’s some movement anyway.
I’ll call again today, plus Senators just for good measure.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Joe Beese:
Thanks for personally guaranteeing a Republican landslide in 2010. Anything else you’d like to fuck up while you are controlling the political agenda from an internet browser in Poughkeepsie, NY???
Elie
I am as frustrated as many here…I have called my Rep and the two Senators. My Rep (Rick Larson) is a Blue Dog for sure. My two Senators (Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have voted for HCR in the past. I heard recently that the Ol Blue Dog Larson (as we might have predicted) is going to have a stiff Tea bagger opponent and apparently so is Patty Murray. Democrats for some reason don’t get that they have to stop running and face it — that there is no escape from cowardice… How do we help them get that message which they seem so unable to grasp?
Lurker
I just vented at a staffer at Adam Schiff’s office for 15 minutes.
The staffer said Schiff supports health care reform and a plan with a public option. I told him a public option’s nice, but that he could add that later after passing the Senate bill as-is. I’ll settle for a Swiss-style system over nothing at all.
The staffer also said Schiff couldn’t vote on anything if the Senate bill is not brought to the floor for a vote. I did not know what to say to that, but I vented that if the Democrats could not pass some kind of health care legislation this year, that me and a lot of my frustrated friends would sit out the November 2010 elections.
I’m not making that last part up — I know a lot of frustrated people who wonder why the Democrats can’t use their majorities to get something done on health care.
xian
@gnomedad: I would just tell her you are a constituent who believes we need to fix healthcare, cover the uninsured, rein in the excesses, etc., and that you find it disappointing that your rep and her party aren’t contributing to the solution but just standing on the sidelines seeking partisan gain.
xian
@gnomedad: I would just tell her you are a constituent who believes we need to fix healthcare, cover the uninsured, rein in the excesses, etc., and that you find it disappointing that your rep and her party aren’t contributing to the solution but just standing on the sidelines seeking partisan gain.
invisible_hand
this is not the first time i have called rep. charles rangel of manhattan. you would think it would be a no brainer for him to sign this letter, considering his constituents, but the dude will not commit! argh~
mcc
@geemoney:
As I understand the 11th dimension is the Dilaton field, though you can recover the 10-dimensional theory in various limits.