My family finally moved from Pittsburgh to North Carolina. That means I am happy. It also means I am staring at 100+ cardboard boxes to unpack and re-sort.
So blogging will be light.
But even as it is light, continue to call the Senate:
When you call a Senate office, ask to speak to the relevant Health Legislative Assistant. Hey look, a list of staffer names! 18/ pic.twitter.com/UQ0yZNaSxc
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) June 8, 2017
The ask is simple — no bill that leads to coverage losses.
satby
That list cuts off. Is there a link somewhere to the original document? I tried following to his Twitter feed but didn’t see any more of the list there either.
Kay
I’ll call today. I hate calling Portman. Now I’m on his dumb email list. I don’t even know how that happened.
Bruce K
Got through to Schumer’s office yesterday, and spoke with a pleasant representative who was very understanding of my position, and told me not to worry when I apologized for rambling and chewing up her undoubtedly valuable time. I don’t doubt that some of her pleasantness was “humor the crazy guy on the phone”, but maybe it’ll make a dime’s worth of difference.
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Beacuse this worked so well last time! This is what you Jill Stein voters wanted though right? FEEL THE BERN DUR DUR DUR NOT A DIMES WORTH OF DIFFERENCE DUR DUR DUR!!!!
Ohio Mom
The times I’ve tried, Portman’s DC office isn’t picking up the phone. I’ve left messages where I called out aide Sarah Schmidt by name, and also have chastised Ohio staff, who obviously haven’t gotten the memo and still pick up the phone.
Interesting caption on CNN (I am eating breakfast in our vacation hotel): “Trump calls health bill mean.” What’s up with that?
Ohio Mom
@Kay: My rep, Wenstrup, had an aide respond to either one of my calls or emails on my cell. I NEVER give them my cell. Maybe I called from it but I never leave it on a form.
Clearly, they have very good data management, or whatever you call it. Scary, really.
Princess
I emailed the legislative assistants of my two Democratic senators, so that is also an option if your senators are Dems and you want to get on the record, but just can’t face phoning. Their emails are probably something like [email protected]
Princess
Also: when my husband called our Democrat senator’s office and asked what he could do, he was told, “Keep calling.” So they want our calls. And the GOP need our calls.
NotMax
@Ohio Mom
See earlier front page post for more on that.
rikyrah
@Kay:
Kay did you see the reply to you about the great Kasich saying that it was ok to end Medicaid????
Ohio Mom
@NotMax: Thanks, it is hard to keep up when I am off my usual schedule. But now I have to wonder about this: @rikyrah: Kasich and Medicaid.
rikyrah
@Ohio Mom:
I will find the story and post it in this thread once I get to work.
I am replying on my phone right now.
MomSense
I’ll call again but I doubt I’ll get a person. Collins always used to have a person answer the phones. King still does. Now when I call Collins, I only get a voicemail prompt and usually I then get a mailbox full message. My calls are not being counted and I wonder if this is done so that Republican Senators can report low phone call numbers.
This is infuriating.
john fremont
I got to voice mail at Cory Gardner’s DC office yesterday. I’ll hit it again today.
Scott
I have a basic question. We have all heard about the 24M people losing coverage. Has there been any studies or models on job losses occurring because of the healthcare cuts?
Scott
Besides calling, I also fax (thru my desktop) a letter. A quick and easy way is to use faxzero.com. They have the congressional fax numbers preloaded.
low-tech cyclist
If you’ve got Dem Senators, the ask should be that they withhold unanimous consent to anything and everything until there’s a bill that they can read, and until there’s a hearing about the bill.
And if there’s anything else they can do to attract attention to the invisible bill, they’d damn well better do it, and PDQ. Maybe they should hold a sit-down protest on the Senate floor. (Yes, I’m serious.)
The reason is that the Republicans are succeeding in avoiding any coverage of the health care bill. The Dems need to be willing to break some crockery and throw some sand in the Senate gears in order to change this dynamic. The less publicity the bill gets before the very last minute, the easier it will be for the alleged GOP ‘moderates’ to vote for the bill.
rikyrah
@Ohio Mom:
Found it:
John Kasich Backs Slow Medicaid Rollback, but With More Money
By ROBERT PEAR
JUNE 12, 2017
WASHINGTON — Ohio’s influential Republican governor, John R. Kasich, said on Monday that he could accept a gradual phaseout of the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but only if Congress provides states with more money than the House health care bill included and more flexibility to manage the health program for the poor.
Mr. Kasich’s statement could prove significant as Senate Republicans try to find near unanimity on a bill to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement. His position points to a compromise that moderate Senate Republicans could embrace — but that could challenge the chamber’s most conservative members.
“I don’t have a problem with phasing down the enhanced federal payments,” said Mr. Kasich, who is working with several other Republican governors from states that have expanded Medicaid. “But it can’t be done overnight, and it has to be done with the resources and the flexibility that are needed so people don’t get left behind. You just can’t be cutting off coverage for people.”
…………………………………………..
Twenty Republican senators come from states that have expanded Medicaid, and many could be influenced by Mr. Kasich, including Senator Rob Portman of Ohio.
The governor said in an interview that he also hoped to bring in a few Democratic governors as the Senate reaches a pivotal week in its efforts to repeal major provisions of the health care law, under which 20 million Americans have gained coverage.
The future of Medicaid remains a divisive issue among Senate Republicans, but several weeks of intense negotiations behind closed doors have clarified the situation: The question for most Senate Republicans is no longer whether to end the expansion of Medicaid, but how fast.
rikyrah
Use our toolkit to unleash a tidal wave of pressure on Trumpcare. Target list, phone #’s, facts, graphics. Please RT https://t.co/3XvofXuTE9
— Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) June 7, 2017
trnc
@Scott:
Good question, but I assume the law is being crafted in such a way that it will leave just enough of the ACA in place that it can be blamed for those job losses. Many Americans will believe this, even though there was job growth in every single month that the ACA has been in place.
hedgehog the occasional commenter
@low-tech cyclist: Seconded. I called Michael Bennet’s office and made those suggestions, and also thanked him for standing against the ACA. I can’t agree enough–call your Dem Senators as well! Bennet’s staffer was grateful for the supportive call.
I also called Cory “Weasel” Gardner’s office using the AARP call-in number (1-844-833-9667). Got voice mail but left a message to vote NO.
If you go on the AARP website, they have a handy one-page info sheet on AHCA on how it would harm everyone. Very useful.
Sam
Welcome to NC! You have now entered the “no democracy” zone.
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article122593759.html
hedgehog the occasional commenter
@low-tech cyclist: (Trying again. Edited my comment and it got eated.)
Co-sign; I called MIchael Bennet’s office, thanked him for standing strong against the ACHA, encouraged him and his Dem colleagues to get the word out. Staffer was very grateful for the supportive call–they need to hear those too.
Also called Cory Gardner (R-Weasel) with the AARP call in number (1-844-833-9667). Got voice mail, left a message. If you go on the AARP website, they have a handy-dandy one-page fact sheet on the ACHA that lays out exactly how bad it is. Good for talking points. AARP’s been running ads here in Colorado urging people to call Gardner.
Bonnie
Boy, do I hate twitter. You have to read 25 to 30 tweets just to get the point. Why not use a better source. I, for one, will be 72 in September and will not ever use twitter between now and when I die.