In the Senate Finance Committe hearings on health care today, Senators Baucus of Montana, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas voted against the mildest form of public option. There is no other conclusion than that they are against real health care reform. Every knowledgeable commentator, reporter, and any objective consultant will tell you that the public option is the only sensible, reliable way to reduce health care costs.
With an option for citizens to buy a government insurance option, insurance companies would have meaningful competition to keep rates down. No other country in the world even allows private health care companies to make a profit. Private health care insurance companies in those countries…and they do exist…are non profit companies.
If you want health care reform, you’d better call the offices of these Senators and make your objections known. You should call and scream at them at the top of your lungs. Because they voted heavily against YOU today. This was a vote against the People. It would mean no meaningful health care reform.
Here they are:
Senator Max Baucus of Montana — (202)-224-2651 In Montana — (406) 761-1574
Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota — (202)-224-2043 In North Dakota — (701) 852-0703
Senator Blanche Lincoln — (202)-224-4843 In Arkansas — (501) 375-2993
If you live in Arkansas, North Dakota or Montana, you will, of course, want to support a Democratic opponent for these Senators in their next primary. Understand that this was a watershed vote. Democrats voted for this amendment. Those who did not were either Republicans, or supporters of the health insurance industry. It is as simple as that. It is the American People against the insurance companies. And these three who pretend to be Democrats are with the insurance industry.
Max Baucus is a Senator from a state that is so small that it has only ONE member of the House of Representatives. Yet he gets huge…huge…amounts of money from the insurance industry. Both Blanche Lincoln and Kent Conrad also come from small states but they also have very close ties to insurance companies and receive very large amounts of money from them in campaign contributions.
Is health care reform important to you, or your parents, children, relatives, neighbors or friends? If it is you’d better get on the phone and make the call. It doesn’t matter what state you are from. It only matters that you are a citizen and you are ENTITLED to affordable, accessible, reliable health care. And these three greedy Senators are keeping you from getting it. Make the call.