Health care: Keep the pressure on

Editorial

Bravo to the health care activists who are cranking out the phone calls and participating in rallies across the country to say “finish reform right,” despite stalled negotiations on Capitol Hill.

Supporters in Congress say they need continued constituent messages as they try to break the logjam and open the way for the 40 million with no coverage and as many with inadequate coverage to get the care they need.

Health care legislation bogged down when Republicans voted no as a bloc and enough Democrats plus Independent Joe Lieberman joined with them in threatening to filibuster and deny the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.

With the election of Republican Scott Brown to the seat held by Ted Kennedy, the undemocratic nature of the “filibuster” is even more plain to see.

In exit polls, most of those who voted for Obama in 2008 but voted for Brown this year favor a stronger health care bill with a public option. They were angry and frightened that their existing health care benefits might be taxed. Their top concern was lack of jobs. Their protest was to stay home or vote for the opposition.

The Republican spin being given, which claims that people do not want health care reform, distorts the real picture. Even worse, it diverts attention from where the immediate focus needs to be – organizing on the ground like the labor organizing that took place last summer in response to the “tea bag” disruption of town hall meetings.

Health Care for America Now correctly says, “stop the corporate interests…. We need health care we can afford in and out of work, the choice of a public option, and reform that doesn’t tax our benefits. Tell the president and Congress to choose wisely and finish reform right, for us.”

Health care is a basic human right, not a political football. Too many lives are at stake. Join their campaign and sign a letter here. Call your members of Congress and let them know that now is the time to put our nation on the path to quality, affordable health care we can all count on.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamgn/ / CC BY 2.0