The definition of insanity, commonly (and possibly mistakenly) attributed to Albert Einstein, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Indeed, the GOP should be considered a bit touched, if not criminally negligent, for proposing to replicate the failed taxation scheme of Kansas on a national scale. The five year experiment in “trickle-down” economics was such a bust that even Kansas Republicans gave it up as a bad job and voted for more taxes.

Similarly, a health insurance plan very like the GOP’s darkest fantasies already exists as a small-scale real-life experiment in Iowa. Continue reading ““The Definition of Insanity…”” →

Today, Wednesday, June 21, people are coming together across the country to fight for Planned Parenthood.

(tiny url.com/pink-out-Wednesday)

As part of the GOP’s strategy to pander to religious conservatives while removing actual healthcare, especially for low-income women, from their “Taxcare for the Wealthy” plan, Planned Parenthood would be defunded for one year unless it stops offering abortions, a legal and safe medical procedure. This will cause an estimated 2.4 million patients to lose access to care, the majority of which does not include abortion services. Every year, PP health centers provide birth control for nearly 2 million people, over 4.2 million STD tests and treatments; over 320,000 breast exams; and nearly 295,000 Pap tests. A Quinnipac poll released Jan. 27 found that 62 percent of American voters are against defunding Planned Parenthood, and 80 percent are opposed if they knew federal money was being used only for nonabortion health services, as is the case. If we lose this struggle, women will be paying with their lives. Continue reading “Pink it up, people!” →

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his all-male Gang of 13 have been working hard behind closed doors to put finishing touches on a healthcare bill that has the potential to devastate one sixth of our economy and millions of people.

Last night, our Democratic senators took to the floor for an all-night talk-a-thon to protest a process that offered, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, “no committee hearings, no debate, no amendments and no input from the minority”.

Although McConnell had railed against Democrats for allowing only 25 days of consecutive Senate hearings, ±169 hours of debate and numerous minority amendments in the fight over the ACA in 2010, he has, astonishingly, changed his mind. Continue reading “It begins…” →

Several questions over the weekend…

“Our senators are Democrats. Why do we need to call? Why do we need to call every day?”

Answer: People who agree with your viewpoint are NOT the only ones calling. People who disagree with you will be calling every day too. Multiple times. Our senators keep tallies of the calls. What we want is for them to tell their colleagues that they have a HUGE number of calls against this bill. THAT is our super power.

“Why do I need to call? Why not emails, those nifty new fax services or those bot thingies?”

Answer: Calls are answered by live people and their tally is immediate. Other methods require someone to read through your message and tally it. Later. Maybe. After face-to-face meetings and town halls, phone calls are our most powerful option. If calling makes you nervous, check out our discussion on it at tinyurl.com/3-week-war.

“Why just my own senators? Why can’t I call all the GOP senators who are voting for this horrible thing?”

Continue reading “Week 2 begins… Ramp it up!” →

When the ACA began, do you remember how relieved we were when “pre-existing conditions” became a thing of a dark and heartless past? 

Fight for it again! Your phone and those of our families are our weapons. These ten states are particularly important as their Senators will be key to the success of failure or the GOP’s proposal: Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkasas.  See the state-specific stats here: https://www.trumpcareten.org
Here are all the phone #’s they’ll need: tinyurl.com/make-your-family-call-too

The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation has put together this great article on what we may have forgotten. Read it here: tinyurl.com/Joe-Friday-would-like-this

(See the full description of the 3 Week Campaign, scripts for Republican legislators and tips for people who just hate making calls here:  tinyurl.com/3-week-war

Scripts and information below: Continue reading “First Week Down! We’re just getting warmed up!” →

The GOP’s AHCA is the bill that won’t die. Save yourself!  Save your friends! Save your family!

Reach out to across the country! These ten states are particularly important as their Senators will be key to the success of failure or the GOP’s proposal: Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkasas.  See the state-specific stats here: https://www.trumpcareten.org

Here are all the phone #’s they’ll need: tinyurl.com/make-your-family-call-too

Joe Katz has written an amazing piece on all the Senate has to do to bring this monster out to the light of day. Hope is not lost! Read it here. tinyurl.com/joe-katz-is-awesome

(See the full description of the 3 Week Campaign, scripts for Republican legislators and tips for people who just hate making calls here:  tinyurl.com/3-week-war

Scripts and information below: Continue reading “It’s still…ALIVE!” →

This destructive “healthcare” bill will effect your Mom, your Dad, your kids and your grandchildren.

So reach out across the country to get your whole family to call! These ten states are particularly important as their Senators will be key to the success of failure or the GOP’s proposal: Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkasas. 

See the state-specific stats here: https://www.trumpcareten.org

Here are all the phone #’s they’ll need: tinyurl.com/make-your-family-call-too

The Senate is trying to do what the House did in May: jam through its TrumpCare bill in secrecy, without public hearings, without a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score, and without knowing its full impact on American families.  Let our Senators know that we expect them to not only vote against this bill, but to speak out against it to the media, and on the floor of the Senate.

(See the full description of the 3 Week Campaign, scripts for Republican legislators and tips for people who just hate making calls here:  tinyurl.com/3-week-war

Scripts and information below: Continue reading “It’s “Family Day” in the #Trumpcare Wars!” →

This bill is a con game to make us believe that malpractice insurance is a major expense of our healthcare system, when in fact, it is only 0.5-1% of all medical costs. Losers of this game will be patient protections against malpractice and medical error. It limits non-economic damages to $250,000, shortens the statute of limitations and bans class action lawsuits against doctors prescribing FDA-approved drugs or medical devices that cause harm. Winners will be pharmaceutical firms who’ll minimize damages for under-tested drugs and their well-paid army of lobbyists.

Script: I’m calling to ask Rep. (___) to vote “NO” on HR 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017. Reducing healthcare spending is an admirable policy goal, but it should not be achieved by eroding people’s legal protections against medical malpractice while shielding pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits over hastily-approved drugs.

Rep. Brownley (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779

Rep. Carbajal (CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348

More Info: Continue reading “Vote “NO” on HR 1215. It places a federal limit on the value of a life.” →

Stop TrumpCare in the Senate – 3 Week Call Challenge!

(From Senator Kirsten Gillibrand):
Sen. McCaskill is up for reelection next year, and when women stand strong and speak out, Republicans attack. They’ve already launched sexist attacks saying she was “ranting and raving.” Millions of dollars will be directed into defeating and silencing her.    Continue reading “Day 2, Healthcare Warriors!” →