Urgent: E-mail Your Representative Again To Support Health Care Reform.

Dear reader,

As a liberal/progressive, I am deeply disappointed in the Health Care Reform Legislation currently in front of the US House of Representatives—but I still strongly support the bill. As much as I wish the reform legislation had not been watered down in an attempt to garner conservative support, I also believe it is a huge step forward that will help millions of Americans and deserves our support—now.

It appears that the house will vote this week on passing the Senate’s health care reform legislation and the changes that will be included in the reconciliation bill, and the vote is going to be very close. That makes it imperative that you write to your Representative and demand they support this health care reform legislation.

It is particularly important for you to write if your Representative is a Democrat. The Democrats are a big tent party, and many of the moderate and conservative representatives are wavering in their support for this legislation. Your e-mail can help strengthen their resolve. In my proposed letter (bellow) I will show why even those Representatives concerned with the language used to prohibit federal funding of abortion should step forward and support this legislation.

If, like me, your Representative is a Republican, writing them on this issue is probably as useful as trying to teach a rock to float, but I have included a suggested letter to Republican Representative anyway. It can’t hurt. You can also help by encouraging everyone you know who has a Democratic Representative to send them a e-mail similar to my example below.

Mass e-mail campaigns, like those organized by MoveOn.org do have an effect, but individual e-mails demanding support for health care reform (or any other bill) have even more impact.

You can use this link: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find your Representative’s e-mail contact form. You will need to know your complete 5+4 Zip Code.

Letter to a Democratic Representative

Dear (Name),

I urge you to voting for and whole-heartedly support the current health care reform legislation. Do not let any consideration deter you.

I further urge you to reach out to Representative Bart Stupak and the other Representatives that are concerned that Senate’s language prohibiting federal money being used to fund abortion is not adequate and tell them that blocking health care reform will not reduce abortion, but will hurt the unborn children of mothers who do not now receive adequate prenatal care.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal and Child Health Bureau, every year nearly one million woman give birth without having received adequate medical attention. Such babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight, and five times more likely to die, than those whose mothers received prenatal care.

While I share your concern about abortion, sacrificing the health of lower-income mothers, babies, and older children by denying them the assistance that health care reform will provide is simply unacceptable. Stopping health care reform over concern over the language/mechanism used to prevent federal funding of abortion hurts low-income mothers and their babies. It is a fight with no winners.

Let no other concern prevent your voting for health care reform. Pass health care reform now!

Thank you,

(Your Name)

(Your Town)

Letter to a Republican Representative

Dear (Name),

The time for partisan politics has passed. I urge you to vote for the Senates health care reform legislation and the changes currently before the house. This vote will be in defiance of the Republican leader in the house, but it will earn the support of many of your constituents.

It is clear that passing this legislation is in the best interest of the American people, and supporting such legislation is your job, not adhering to the part line.

If you do not vote for this legislation, you can count on my working to defeat you when you next seek re-election.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

(Your Town)