House and Senate negotiators have apparently just about agreed on…well, something. Look for text to be posted online some time this week. John Cohn and Ezra Klein both take it as good news, so it probably is, but it won’t hurt to get on the phone and remind your elected officials how you feel.
Tell Senators to get behind reconciliation to fix Medicare reimbursement, the excise tax and whatever else the House demands. Might as well ask for a public option if it pleases you. Tell your Congressperson to Pass. The. Damn. Bill. whether or not the Senate eventually reciprocates.
Switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
Guide for first-timers here.
***Update***
Good question from the comments – will anyone answer on President’s day? I work in a lab and always forget about any holiday that’s too minor for lawn decorations.
MikeJ
President’s day. Anybody in the office to answer the phone?
JenJen
Hey Hoosiers… don’t bother calling Evan Bayh.
Evan Bayh to retire
Not the worst news I’ve ever heard, but I wonder if this will make that idiot Mike Pence reconsider?
geg6
@JenJen:
Ahhhh! I was just coming to post this. Dammit, you beat me! ;-)
Keith
I figured that our Republican Congress would have already abolished President’s Day by now, under the guise that the President should be focusing on the economy rather than having days named after him.
soonergrunt
From the DKOS front page comes this story about a Fox News poll that has the following choices:
As of this writing, the poll, which can be found here had “Fruitless mix of racism, conspiracy theories” in the lead with a whopping 83%.
soonergrunt
Oh, man. The mod filter caught my post, which has the soc ial ism word. I completely forgot.
Mumphrey
Just called Gerry Connolly, and told him I want him to vote for whatever bill ends up coming out of the mishmash, no matter how bad it ends up being. Congress can go back later and make it better once it’s law.
Senators Webb and Warner’s offices weren’t open today, but I’ll call them tomorrow and tell them to get behind the damned bill, too.
I don’t care by now how bad the bill is, I just want to see a bill go through. I know it’ll suck, but it’ll be something to build on, and Congress can work on making it better in a few years. We waited 15 years after the last time health care reform died, and a lot of people don’t have 15 years to wait this time if it goes down.
Lurker
Adam Schiff’s office was closed today, so I left a voice mail message. I’ll leave a voice mail message on my Senators’ phone lines next.
EDIT — scratch that. Dianne Feinstein doesn’t allow voice mail messages at either her DC or Los Angeles offices. ARGH. I *really* need to get one of the Internet fax services that folks suggested here on an earlier thread…
burnspbesq
I’m betting that Bayh’s decision is partially motivated by economics.
He and Susan have twin 15-year old boys. He leaves the Senate and becomes a high-priced lobbyist, she goes back to practicing law, and they make $3-5 million a year between them. Putting two kids through private colleges is pretty easy on that income. And he’s spared the humiliation of losing to a complete jackass.
West of the Cascades
Federal govt is officially closed today – but some staffers are surely working and in any event you can fill up their voicemails with Pass the Damned Bills messages.
debg
Any ideas for people in red states? I’m in Kansas, where my official representatives do not in any way represent me. Should we still try calling?