Where Do Our Senators Stand on the Public Option?

by: spazeboy

Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 10:01:02 AM EDT

Chris Bowers of Open Left, in collaboration with many other blogs, Democracy for America, and Health Care for America Now, has undertaken an effort to get U.S. Senators on the record regarding health care reform and the public option:

For years, candidates for, and members of, Congress told us that we needed to elect and re-elect them in order to lower health care costs and provide universal coverage. And so, for years, we dutifully worked our collective asses off, delivering wide majorities for Democrats--who said they would lower health care costs and provide universal coverage--in both branches of Congress.

Now, when it comes time for them to deliver on health care by providing a public option--the bare minimum required to reduce costs and provide universal coverage--what we are getting instead are backroom deals, flip-flops, and cop-outs.

We know what time it is. We have waited long enough. Now is the time for quality, affordable health care we can all count on.

The insurance industry knows what time it is too. So in pursuit of real health care reform, we find ourselves wading into muddy waters. Insurance companies--the opponents of real reform--have gone to great lengths to dress up their counter-proposals to appear beneficial to the health of the American people rather than to the health of corporate bottom lines. They say they want reform, and create "grassroots" organizations to push for it, but what they really want are profit protections.

Because of these insurance company smokescreens, our Senators must be asked 4 questions in order to determine where they really stand on the public option:

1. Do you support a public healthcare option as part of reform?
2. Do you support a public healthcare option that is ready on day one?
3. Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to our government?
4. Do you support a public healthcare option that has the clout to establish rates with providers and big drug companies?

Our work in Connecticut is simplified by the fact that Senator Dodd supports the choice of a public healthcare option. To his credit, Senator Dodd has continued to firm up his support for a strong public option. He went so far as to say that reform "must include a public health insurance option in addition to private options." Sen. Dodd is also on record elsewhere about the need for a meaningful public option.

Senator Lieberman's position on the public option is unknown opposed. Update: Not sure how I missed this, but Sen. Lieberman is against the public option. More on his opposition here, here, here, and here.

This makes Lieberman the only member of Connecticut's Congressional Delegation who does not support the public option. More than anybody else, Joe Lieberman needs to hear from his constituents. Send him an e-mail asking him to explain his opposition to the public option to you himself.

There is some good news. So far, 37 Senators are on board. The first to respond affirmatively to all four questions was Senator Russ Feingold.

The Senate is poised to be--in the words of Chris Bowers--"the biggest hurdle on health care." We need to find out where our Senators stand on the public option now, so that we know who to thank, and who to persuade. In the extended text, you can see all of the tools for contacting your Senators.

But if you'd like to cut to the chase, click here to e-mail Senator Lieberman, and click here to record whatever responses you receive from his office.

The E-Mail Tool

Either use the e-mail tool here, or visit the contact form on Senator Lieberman's official website to send him a message.

Letter Writing Tips

Write a short note in your own words on why you support a public healthcare option:

• A public healthcare option is crucial to controlling costs, the heart of the healthcare crisis.
• A public healthcare option will keep private insurance honest.

Then ask your Senators these four questions:

• Do you support a public healthcare option as part of reform?
• Do you support a public healthcare option that is ready on day one?
• Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to our government?
• Do you support a public healthcare option that has the clout to establish rates with providers and big drug companies?

Conclude by reminding your Senators that you are a constituent, and you expect answers to these questions in writing, via email.

The Reporting Tool

There are two ways to report your response:

1. Once you get an e-mail response from your Senator, visit this link to report where they stand. Copy and paste the original e-mail, so that the exact language of the response is recorded.
2. Forward the e-mail response that you receive to response@democracyforamerica.com

Tell a Bunch of Friends

Visit this page to send a message from StandWithDrDean.com to your friends, urging them to contact their Senator, or share the link to this post with them the old-fashioned way by e-mailing them the link directly. Sharing it on Facebook or Twitter is cool too.

Disclosure: I am the Online Organizer for Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG)