Community Catalyst: National Health Reform News

Community Catalyst Health Reform Insider

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Action Alert: This Is It

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

This is it! In the next two weeks, we expect to see action from the House on the Senate bill. After passing that bill, they will take up an accompanying package of amendments. The amendments will then be sent to the Senate for final passage of national health care reform. As leaders in the House work to ensure there are enough votes for passage (216), our job is to continue to let each and every Member know their constituents support reform and are counting on them to deliver.

It is critical that we send strong, coordinated messages to Capitol Hill over the next few weeks. In order to support you, we created some new documents, updated others, and pulled them all into one place.

Materials

New Letters to the Editor

These new letters to the editor reflect different viewpoints in support of reform. Many of our previous LTE templates are also still relevant. All of them can now be found in one document.

Talking Points

Talking points have changed and evolved several times over the past year. We pulled together the most recent and most relevant talking points directed at various audiences for this final push. Also, the Herndon Alliance has put together talking points for responding to attacks against reform.

Health Reform: A Full Circle Solution

This new visual clearly shows how quality, affordable health care for all Americans can only be achieved through a comprehensive health care reform package.

VoteForMyHealth.org

This new site, created in partnership with Health Care for All of Massachusetts, features a video of health care leaders, business professionals and consumers from Massachusetts discussing the great benefits brought to the state by health reform and the need for reform on the national level.

Health Care Reform Can't Wait Petition

Don't forget to sign our "Health Reform Can't Wait" petition to Congress and pass it on to your friends and partners. This is a public petition, so each person in your organization and coalition can sign it and pass it on to their professional and personal networks. This is an excellent way to dispel the myth that Americans do not support reform - everyone who wants to fix our broken health care system should stand up and be counted.

In order to help you better access the materials that are most useful for your advocacy, we have revamped the national health reform section of our website. The resources section now prominently features a "What You Need to Know Right Now" heading. As we develop new materials or update existing documents, we will keep the most critical and up-to-date information here for your convenience.

You have worked nonstop for over a year to ensure that the voices in support of national health care reform are represented in the debate and that consumers in your state are able to tell their stories. Your efforts have brought us closer to real reform than we've ever come in this country. Now, it's time to push harder than ever and bring national health care reform to final passage.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

Sample Letters to the Editor

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

A side-by-side comparison of the affordability provisions in the House and Senate bills and the president's proposal

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Talking Points to Push Health Care Reform Over the Finish Line

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Community Catalyst Health Reform Insider

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Health Care Reform: A full circle solution

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Moving Forward From the Summit

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

Yesterday, many of you watched as President Obama convened Members of Congress from both chambers and both sides of the aisle to discuss their visions for health care reform. The president and Democratic leadership said publically and clearly that they are committed to comprehensive health care reform.

The vast majority of these 27 million people or 30 million people that we're talking about, they work every day. Some of them work two jobs. But if they're working for a small business, they can't get health care. If they are self-employed, they can't get health care.

And you know what? It is a scary proposition for them. And so we can debate whether or not we can afford to help them, but we shouldn't pretend somehow that they don't need help. I get too many letters saying they need help.

As controversial as the efforts to reform health care have been thus far, when you ask people, should we move forward and try to reform the system, people still say yes, they still want to see change.

-President Barack Obama

For those of you who weren't able to watch the entire program, you can find highlights on CNN.

This event is the best indication we've had since January that health care reform will move forward. Now, we must reinforce the president's message to Congress that it is time to get the job done.

ACTION STEPS

Contact your House Members

All House Members need to hear from their constituents every day from now until the House passes the Senate bill and a companion bill designed from the President's proposal. Make calls; write letters; send postcards; hold events. The urgent messages remain:

- The bipartisan health care summit represents clear leadership from President Obama on health care reform. Now Congress must act.
- Congress needs to pass comprehensive health care reform now; the consequences of doing nothing are too dire.
- Time is running out to pass reform; the door is closing on this historic opportunity.
- Special interests cannot be allowed to get in the way of the health care reform that Americans so badly need.
Sign the "Health Care Reform Can't Wait" Petition - and pass it on!

Community Catalyst is partnering with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, PICO, Families USA and other national groups to send everyone in Congress the message: "Move forward and pass health care reform. It's time to act." Sign the petition and send this link: http://www.healthcarepetition.org/10707_communitycatalyst to your networks, neighbors, friends and family - across the street or across the country.

Media Outreach

We need to send out a positive message that comprehensive health care reform is moving forward, and we are committed to getting the job done. We need to shape positive press coverage of the summit, to illustrate what it means for our communities and to reinforce the message that Congress needs to get the job done.

- Release a Statement. Community Catalyst released this statement regarding the summit. You can use this as a model to create your own. Also consider adding quotes from several stakeholders, similar to this release from Health Care for All in Massachusetts following a recent rally.
- Submit Letters to the Editor. Using these new templates, place letters to the editor in all of your community papers. Members of Congress and their staff read the papers in their districts every day. These are a very effective way to reach both the public and your Members with one easy action step.

Thank you for all of your hard work bringing attention to the summit in your communities and ensuring the message supporting comprehensive national health care reform was heard. Together, we can make sure Members of Congress know their constituents want them to get the job done.

Thank you,

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

"America Needs Reform Now" Presentation

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Tomorrow's Bipartisan Health Reform Summit

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

Tomorrow, President Obama is hosting the bipartisan health reform summit. The event starts at 10 am and will go until about 4 pm. It will be broadcast live on C-SPAN 3 and streaming on healthreform.gov. This is a critical opportunity to shift public opinion and re-energize Congress to get the job done. We need to do all that we can to generate a positive buzz around the event and spread the word that this country needs health reform.

Last week, we sent you a packet of materials to help you plan activities and outreach around the summit. As you prepare for tomorrow's event, we wanted to share a couple of additional resources to help you take advantage of the media and public attention.

Cut Through the Rhetoric

Our newest policy document, Real Reform, compares the proposal released by the Administration on Monday and Republican health care reform proposals in the context of the four key issues for the summit: insurance reforms, cost containment, expanding coverage, and deficit reduction. For Community Catalyst's analysis of the President's proposal, see today's Health Reform Insider.

The ‘Insider' Scoop, in Real Time

During the summit, Michael Miller will be on Twitter offering live analysis and a ‘reality check'. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/healthpolicyhub or on the feed on our website.

Fire Up Your Online Networks

Twitter - Share your top priorities for national health care reform and tweet your reactions as you watch the summit to inform followers and add your commentary to the Twitter buzz. Use the hashtag #HCR.

Facebook - If you have not yet promoted the viral Facebook status update to push for comprehensive reform over politics, do it now. Update the status of your organization's and personal Facebook pages - and encourage your networks to do the same - to the message: "We can't wait. No excuses. No more politics. Congress, we need comprehensive health care reform now!"

Follow Up with Members of Congress

Immediately following the summit, it is crucial that Members of Congress hear from their constituents through calls, postcards, emails or letters to the editor. The urgent messages are:

Today's event represents clear leadership from President Obama on health care reform. Now Congress must act.

Congress needs to pass comprehensive health care reform now; the consequences of doing nothing are too dire.

Time is running out to pass reform; the door is closing on this historic opportunity.

Special interests cannot be allowed to get in the way of the health care reform that Americans so badly need.

Finally, we wanted to share with you some of the many new materials and opportunities for action that other national groups have developed recently.

MoveOn's Virtual March

MoveOn.org has set up an easy way for supporters around the country to send a unified message to Congress in support of national health care reform through a virtual march. Go to their website, enter your information, and a fax will be sent to both of your Senators on your behalf.

PICO National Network's Summit Guide

PICO has developed an easy-to-read chart comparing the status quo with some elements of the proposals on the table at the bi-partisan summit.

Urban Institute's Biggest Losers

The Urban Institute recently released a brief, The Biggest Losers, Health Edition, describing who has the most to lose if comprehensive health care reform is not enacted.

This event is a crucial push from the White House. It is important that we make the most of this opportunity to carry our message supporting comprehensive health care reform to the media, the public, and our Members of Congress.

Thank you,

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

Real Reform: The president's health care reform proposal is a bipartisan plan for health security

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

President Obama's Health Reform Summit

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

Congratulations on your great outreach to Members during February recess. It is now time to move toward what we hope to be the final push in our incredible effort to pass comprehensive health care reform.

President Obama's bipartisan health reform summit on February 25 will garner the attention of the media and the public, and we need to make sure that our message is carried in the week to come and beyond. We believe the message you've been delivering this past month will hold true leading up to and after the summit: Pass the Senate bill in the House and make the necessary improvements in reconciliation.

There are a number of things that advocates can do in the coming weeks. We suggest focusing on outreach before and during the summit, and using the opportunity to provide analysis afterward to convey that message. We believe that focusing attention on the people in your communities, and offering their perspectives and your analysis, will help send the critical message that Congress needs to listen to everyday Americans, and not lobbyists or media spin.

The urgent messages are:

We must pass comprehensive health care reform now; the consequences of doing nothing are too dire.
Time is running out to pass reform; the door is closing on this historic opportunity.
Special interests cannot be allowed to get in the way of the health care reform that Americans so badly need.

The following materials are designed to help you engage your partners, the media, and the public:

Contact the White House

Prior to the summit, call and/or write letters of support to the White House. Encourage your partners to do the same. Let them know that you support health reform and that the summit is an important step toward moving it across the finish line. It is important that the President receives positive messages in support of his clear leadership as Congress works to finish the job.

Plan Summit Events

We have developed a list of activity options to help you brainstorm about outreach to your Members and to media before, during and after the summit. It includes event suggestions, ideas to engage your networks, and social media options to make the message viral.

Follow the Experts

In preparation for the summit, we suggest a list of blogs to watch to get up-to-the-minute commentary from national health policy experts. During the summit, Michael Miller will be on Twitter offering live analysis and a ‘reality check' to cut through any political posturing. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/healthpolicyhub.

Follow Up with Members of Congress

Immediately following the summit, Members of Congress need to hear that their constituents want and expect them to get the job done. We will send analysis and talking points to help you with this outreach.

Coming Attractions

Next week, we will send policy analysis you can use during and after the summit that will evaluate the Senate bill and current Republican proposals. Our analysis will look at how well they address the four key issues outlined by President Obama - insurance reforms, cost containment, expanding coverage, and deficit reduction - and will point out Republican ideas that are in the current Senate bill. We will also send our analysis of the anticipated plan from the Administration after it is made public.

As always, we are impressed by your creativity and commitment, and we look forward to hearing about your successful efforts over the coming weeks as you continue to advocate for access to quality, affordable health care for everyone.

Thank you.

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

The Massachusetts Election Was Not a Vote Against Health Reform

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

A New Twist on February Recess

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

Stop the Presses! This alert contains updates to materials we sent last week based on developments in national health care reform just announced over the weekend. Don't worry if you've already put wheels in motion. We aren't suggesting major changes to the strategy we outlined, just a few small changes in messaging and the opportunity to engage - and re-engage - more of your elected officials.

Last week, you received two alerts with new materials to help you reach out to your partners, your Members and the public. And then, as has happened several times over the past year, circumstances shifted.

Over the weekend, President Obama announced a bipartisan health care reform summit on Thursday, February 25. The televised, half-day event will include legislators from both chambers and both sides of the aisle. While the Administration made it clear this does not signal a plan to start over on the health care reform legislation, the change in strategy does slightly alter our approach and our messaging. For more on this, see this week's Health Reform Insider. (Remember: the Health Reform Insider comes through the Health Policy Hub blog now. If you didn't receive the Insider this week, subscribe here and get future ones delivered to your inbox.)

Until the summit takes place, our focus becomes less targeted on the path to reform through passage of the Senate bill plus reconciliation (although this is still the most likely scenario), and turns back to the broader message of the need for quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Taking a lead from the Administration, we now see all Members of Congress as key to our outreach. As a reminder, here are the materials we sent you last week. The links below will provide you with the updated materials that have the small tweaks to reflect the new (and ever-changing) environment:

1. Letters to the Editor/Op-ed

Letters to the Editor in community papers are a very effective way to show support for health care reform and to talk to the public about ways that they will benefit from the provisions that are being discussed. An op-ed can be more difficult to place unless you have an existing relationship with a paper or are able to get a prominent member of the community to co-sign it. Again, focusing on smaller, local papers can be an effective way to reach your audience.

2. America Needs Reform Now

This presentation is designed to clearly articulate the need for reform and the benefits reform will offer to American families.

3. February Recess Activities

February recess, which is scheduled for next week, is still an extremely important time to engage all Members of Congress. Remember that activities can be small or large. See our updated guide for ideas. Encourage advocates to “tweet” events, health care reform stories, and local wins on Twitter using #FebHCRevents – using this hashtag will allow people to see a wave of activities nationwide and create buzz around reform.

4. Talking Points

We have updated suggested talking points to reflect the broader target audience: all Members of Congress. The messages for Democratic Members are still largely the same. In addition, we must now put positive pressure on Republican Members to actively participate. Talking points for the public have also been slightly tweaked.

We hope these updated materials will help in your continuing, critical outreach efforts and to take advantage of these new opportunities.

Thank you for your continued advocacy.

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

Community Catalyst Health Reform Insider

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Health Care Surprise

Yesterday, in a surprise move to many (though apparently not to Majority Leader Reid or Speaker Pelosi, who immediately issued statements of support) President Obama invited Congressional leaders from both parties to a televised half-day health care reform summit on February 25.

The summit appears to be a major effort by the administration to redirect the debate over reform. With the main health reform storyline focusing on the food fight between the House and Senate over who doesn’t trust whom and who needs to Go First, it’s no wonder Congressional leadership embraced the new direction. A summit several weeks in the future gives them more time to work through their differences free from the daily white smoke watch.

The summit will also gives the administration an opportunity to highlight the many positive aspects of reform and to point out weaknesses and inconsistencies in Republican arguments. (For example, how can Republicans attack health reform for reducing Medicare spending when their own proposal includes a far more draconian cut?) We saw versions of this dialogue when Obama engaged in a give and take at the Congressional Republican retreat a few weeks back. Obama and Congressional Democrats can repudiate certain controversial provisions, such as the special Medicaid subsidy for Nebraska. The setting–live TV–directly answers the public’s concern about secret negotiations with a much more open and transparent discussion.

As was true at the Republican Congressional retreat, there is very little chance of substantive changes in position from either side. Republicans believe they are winning the debate on health reform and so have little reason to shift gears as the election approaches. And even if the Republicans were willing and the administration were tempted to cut a deal, it seems likely that any significant shift to the right would cost the administration more in Democrats’ support than it could ever pick up from Republicans, especially in the House.

The main downside risk is that the summit delays the timetable for enacting reform by several weeks, and possibly longer, if discussion continues beyond the initial meeting. Getting a fix-it bill through reconciliation is not a fast or simple procedure, and budget rules make it harder as time goes on. As the days of the Congressional session slip away and elections approach, a crowded Congressional calendar and an aversion to taking tough votes right before facing the voters will add to the difficulty of getting reform done. But with health reform failing to command majority support from the public, who lacks understanding of the bill and has concerns about the process, what’s there to lose?

Eyes on the prize

In the midst of all the political calculations and positioning, it is more important than ever to reassert how crucial covering the uninsured, slowing the growth of health care costs, improving the quality of care and ending abusive insurance industry practices is to our nation’s health and financial well-being.

Ultimately, this is not about Democrats or Republicans. It’s not about achieving electoral advantage. It’s about finally tackling one of the toughest social problems that confronts our country–one whose resolution has eluded policymakers for too many years. It’s time to get reform done.

February Strategy Alert

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners,

Since we like sports analogies at Community Catalyst, we will borrow one from this week's Insider: "We're just a few yards from the goal line, but it's late in the fourth quarter. We just used our last time out and the game clock is ticking. Let's carry it across."

We are at the most critical point in this year-long effort to pass health care reform. Together, we have to make a strong all-out push over the next few weeks.

Many of you were at the Families USA conference in Washington, D.C. last week; people left feeling reinvigorated and ready to take action.

This is because we heard and continue to hear from inside the administration and congressional leadership that they are still committed to comprehensive reform. Not surprisingly, the White House has to pivot to focus on jobs - with unemployment hovering at 10 percent. This does not mean the end of health care reform. In fact, we've heard from some on the Hill that this may help Congress move forward by reducing the singular focus on the health care reform legislative process.

What we need to do is continue to engage our partners and talk to Members of Congress and the public about the need for comprehensive health care reform. We need to do this now, during February recess and for the next several weeks.

We know that many of you are concerned about the legislative pathway to pass this bill. The best pathway for reform right now is to pass the Senate-approved bill in the House alongside a reconciliation bill containing key amendments that are agreed on by the two chambers. There are signs that both the House and Senate leadership are pursuing this path. However, there are a lot of variations on the theme of this "two-step" track. While it is important that you understand the path forward, this is not something we suggest you highlight when talking to your partners, Members of Congress or the public. Right now it is not our job to figure out the process details; it is the job of congressional leadership. (See this week's Insider for a more detailed discussion.)

Our job is threefold: 1) to make sure our partners and allies know that there is still a commitment to pass reform, 2) to let Members know that their constituents want them - and even expect them - to move forward with comprehensive reform, and 3) to educate the public about the positive benefits of reform.

State Activities and Resources

The new materials in today's alert focus on your public messages.

Educate and Re-energize the Public and Your Partners
We know that supporters of reform are tired and frustrated, but we need their energy for this final push. Our materials, including this new presentation and talking points, are designed to keep up the positive energy. We will be pushing these out at every possible opportunity, through Facebook, Twitter, our blog, and our email lists. We invite you to do the same.
Personal Stories
Use the stories you've collected to demonstrate why we cannot wait for real reform. This should be a part of every conversation you have - whether it's with the public, the media or Members of Congress.

In addition, Community Catalyst will send out a series of alerts like this one over the next week. These will include resources and materials to support the following suggested strategies:

Conversations with Members
We need to reach out to all House Democrats, with a particular focus on progressives and Blue Dogs, as well as to moderate Senators. Meetings can be done in person or over the phone, and we suggest you bring together key stakeholders to have a conversation directly with your elected official.
Letters to the Editor and Op/Eds
Place LTEs and Op/Eds in community papers of targeted Members to demonstrate support for reform and to let people know how reform will help them. We are putting a premium on this work right now, since local papers are likely to place your letters, and we know Members of Congress and the public read them. We will be sending sample letters in the next few days.
February Recess Activities and Meetings
February recess presents a crucial opportunity to engage Members of Congress. Activities can be small or large. An upcoming new guide will outline some suggestions.

We are almost there. Now is the time for us to double our efforts. We hope this helps to give you ideas and strategies for the next few weeks. Please be on the lookout for additional materials and resources.

Together, we will make this happen.

Thank you for your continued advocacy,

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team

Community Catalyst Health Reform Insider

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

“Health reform is on life support unfortunately”—Sen. Mary Landrieu

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”—Gertrude in Hamlet

“Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated”—Mark Twain

A lot of ink has been spilled over repeated pronouncements of those declaring health care reform dead, or nearly so. The fact that they have to assert it over and over suggests a) that they would like it to be true and b) that it’s not.

In mulling the new Congressional math coming out of the surprising victory of Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown in the special election to replace Ted Kennedy, it’s useful to remember that the votes of neither the conservative Senate Democrats nor the ultra-conservative House Republicans who dominate the doom and gloom set are expected or needed for final passage.

Passing the Senate-approved bill in the House alongside a reconciliation bill containing the key amendments negotiated by Congressional leaders and the Obama administration prior to the Brown election offers a clear opportunity to enact almost the same bill that would have been enacted before the election. Indeed, it’s the only opportunity to pass a comprehensive bill in the near future. There are signs that both the House and Senate leadership are pursuing this path and that the votes are there in each chamber, at least in theory.

This can be done. There is no insurmountable obstacle to moving forward and there’s a compelling case to be made, both politically and policy-wise, for doing so. After a period of uncertainty, leaders in both branches and the administration (for the most part) appear to have reached that same conclusion.

That said, there is still no guarantee of success, and there are several significant hurdles to clear before a signing ceremony.

Hurdle one: Policy and politics
The first obstacle is getting agreement on the elements that could pass as part of a reconciliation bill to accompany the Senate language. Key provisions of the agreement negotiated just before the Brown election included removing special treatment for the Nebraska Medicaid program, increasing affordability protections for low- and moderate-income families, closing the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole,” making changes to the Senate plan to impose an excise tax on high-cost health insurance and increasing federal oversight of health insurance Exchanges.

Most of these elements could be included in a reconciliation bill, though it’s unclear whether or to what extent changes in the Exchanges would pass muster, since any provision passed via reconciliation must have more than an incidental effect on the federal budget. There is also a push to reopen the negotiations to revisit yet again the excise tax on high-cost health plans and the public option.

The excise tax: Once more, with feeling
Taxing high-cost health plans has been one of the most contentious issues throughout the debate. Although some significant changes were negotiated in the Senate plan that won labor backing, many in the House are calling for that deal to be reopened and for the tax to be dropped altogether. Some fear that one of the changes, a special temporary exemption for plans negotiated through collective bargaining, will look like one more special interest deal. House members raise a number of both policy and political concerns, so here is a review of the issues at stake.

Pro
The current tax exemption of employer-sponsored health benefits provides a disproportionate benefit to the wealthiest households and nothing for the predominantly low-wage workers who lack health insurance. The excise tax, which would be levied on insurers that sell the most expensive plans, is scored by the CBO as reducing health care spending over the long run and it is one of the few sources of financing on which the Senate has been able to agree. Without that money, Congress may be forced to make reductions in the affordability protections which would, in turn, strike at the core architecture of the bill—and Community Catalyst’s top priority in national health care reform. Without adequate subsidies and cost-sharing protections, the individual mandate becomes unworkable.

Con
“Overinsurance” is not a very convincing explanation for high U.S. health spending, and the tax will give insurers and employers an incentive to reduce the cost of the plans they offer. There are a number of ways to do this. Insurers could work to improve care delivery or they could reduce provider payments, but the path of least resistance is likely to be to skinny down coverage. This is exactly the opposite of what the American people want to happen.

People are looking for lower cost-sharing, not higher, regardless of whether health economists argue the tax will reduce aggregate spending—a goal that does not mean much to the average person. The excise tax not only consistently polls badly, but is also strongly opposed by organized labor which provides a disproportionate share of voters and dollars for Democratic candidates.

Further complicating the issue is that the policy itself is not well-drafted and, in the face of opposition, the response until recently had been simply to make the tax smaller rather than to make it better. The tax, as drafted by the Senate, did not adequately address the fact that plans may be high-cost—not because they have unusually rich benefits, but because of the age, gender, health status, occupation or geography of enrollees. The most recent changes have attempted to address some (but not all) of these problems.

Public option
Some progressives, both in and out of Congress, are calling for the return of the public option. They point out that since a reconciliation bill only needs 51 votes, the objections of conservative Senate Democrats who helped to toss the public option overboard is less important. Polling also shows that the American people still support the public option (though it is not the most important issue to them).

There are two problems with this argument. The first, as discussed below, is that working out an acceptable public option takes time, which is in short supply if we are going to get health care reform done.

The second problem lies more with the supposedly more liberal House than with the Senate. House leaders are still in search of 218 votes. While Speaker Pelosi has said the votes are there, there is still work to do. Several House members who provided the margin for victory the first time around are expected to vote no because of the Senate bill’s abortion provisions. Getting to 218 therefore means flipping first-round no votes to yes among Blue Dogs and other conservative Democrats—the same House Democrats who have been least supportive of the public option.

Hurdle two: “No, please, after you,” aka the trust deficit
The cooperation among committees of jurisdiction in the House and the Senate and commitment of all the key players to move forward this past year represents a stark difference from the reform attempt in the 1990s. But a problem has emerged that didn’t come up last time because a bill never got this far: The lack of trust between the branches. The adage, attributed to former House Democratic Speaker Sam Rayburn, that “the Republicans are our opponents, but the Senate is our enemy” captures the spirit of the current atmosphere, and this lack of trust and cooperation between the branches is one of the biggest obstacles to moving forward.

The House is afraid that if they pass the Senate bill first, the Senate won’t take up and pass the agreed on amendments through reconciliation. They want the Senate to move first, which greatly complicates the process because of the rules that govern the reconciliation process. For its part, the Senate thinks the House is making unreasonable demands in order to make the Senate look bad and blameworthy if health care reform doesn’t pass. These issues can be worked out, but it will take time, which brings us to the final hurdle….

Hurdle three: Time is not on our side
With popular support for health care reform below 50 percent—even if that’s based on a lack of understanding of what is actually in the bill—Democrats are eager to shift their focus. Top on their list is job creation and banking regulation.

But while a short breather might be helpful in nailing down the details of path and content for health care reform, time is running out. The closer it gets to the election, the harder it will be for some members of Congress to take what many consider to be a tough vote. And for various reasons, the parliamentary path that health care has to travel now becomes more difficult the longer we wait.

The bottom line is that a comprehensive bill still has a good shot at passage, but the opportunity is time-limited. We all have to make a strong all-out push in the next few weeks.

As the Super Bowl approaches, we go to the football analogy file. We’re just a few yards from the goal line, but it’s late in the fourth quarter. We just used our last time out and the game clock is ticking. Let’s carry it across.

The Senate Health Care Reform Bill Strengthens our Nation's Economic Health

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Fighting Legal Challenges to Health Care Reform

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Urgent House Outreach Needed

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Dear Partners:

As we said on Wednesday, the election of Scott Brown to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat will not stop our work for guaranteed quality, affordable health care for all. The urgent need for reform has not changed, but the need to demonstrate the struggles of American families and their widespread support for health care reform is even greater.

Today, majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate support passage of health care reform. Across the country, many people have worked hard to build that support, and the finish line is within reach. We are too close and have come too far to stop now.

Americans from across the country need to let our Members of Congress know that we need quality, affordable health care. The status quo is not a viable option.

House Outreach

As we understand it, the most likely path forward is to have the House pass the Senate bill. There could also be an accompanying strategy to make fixes in the Senate bill by using the budget reconciliation process. While it is not our job to determine the path to passage, it is our job to now deliver the message louder and clearer than ever that the House needs to work to bring health care reform across the finish line.

We know you have done extensive outreach with your Congressional Delegation throughout this campaign. We are asking you and your supporters to use these relationships to remind Congress about the importance of finishing health care reform. Every Democratic House Member needs to hear the message - multiple times - that we want them to pass the Senate bill; we cannot take any vote for granted.

Action Steps

Contact members of Congress to ask them to vote YES on the Senate bill

Contact all Democratic Members - those who voted yes and those who are on the fence. It is imperative that Members hear that Americans need health care reform and that we need the House to pass the Senate bill. A sample script:

We need to reform the health care system - the status quo is not a viable option for America's struggling families. Health care reform will stabilize families' finances, reduce the risk of medical debt and provide peace of mind to Americans across the country. Congress is so close to meaningful reform, and we urge you to pass the Senate bill. We will stand behind you when you make the right choice to support reform.

Set up phone or in-person meetings with Members and staff. Those of you attending Families USA Health Action Conference next week in Washington may want to use that time to set up in-person visits with Members. If you, one of your supporters or coalition partners have a personal relationship with a Member, set up a meeting directly with that Member.

Contact the White House to say you support health care reform

Although the primary target is the House, it is important that the Administration also hears supportive messages. You can do this by calling the White House comments line at 202-456-1414 or 202-456-1111. Please be aware that wait times may be long. You can also send an electronic message at www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

HCAN Call-In Day - January 25^th

Next Monday, Health Care for America Now! is sponsoring a national call-in day. We encourage you to take this opportunity to be part of a coordinated, unified message on the Hill.

Families USA Sign-On Letter

We encourage you to sign on to this letter to Members of Congress by Families USA using their online form.

Resources

Please be sure to contact your Member's office as soon as possible. We appreciate all of your hard work and advocacy during this busy time.

Sincerely,

Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team