[Peace-discuss] Fw: Call-In Day for Single-Payer Healthcare

unionyes unionyes at ameritech.net
Mon Dec 22 10:06:37 CST 2008 

email blast template
----- Original Message ----- 
From: UFPJ Action Alerts 
To: unionyes at ameritech.net 
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 8:40 AM
Subject: Call-In Day for Single-Payer Healthcare


     
      TODAY: National Call-In Day for HR 676, Single-Payer Healthcare


      United For Peace and Justice urges you to participate in today's nationwide day of calls to members of Congress on the issue of healthcare.

      Initiated by the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care -- a nation-wide effort to support HR 676, a Medicare for All/Single Payer Healthcare bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers -- today's Congressional call-in is focused on reaching the members of Congress in their home/district offices. The point of these calls is to ask your members of Congress to sign on as a sponsor to HR 676. To find who your representative is go to www.votesmart.org

      In addition to your own representative, please contact Senator Ted Kennedy's office by phone at 617-565-3170 or by fax at 617-565-3183. He is preparing health care legislation. Tell him that you support Conyers' bill HR 676 -- and that expanding the Massachusetts model nationally is not comprehensive enough.

      When you call your Congressional office, make sure your message gets through by asking for the Chief of Staff or the legislative aide who handles health issues. Though we can rarely talk directly to our representatives, we should avoid simply leaving a message with the person who answers the phone.

      Healthcare reform is going to be up immediately when the new Congress is seated on January 6th, so these calls are very important if we are going to get meaningful comprehensive reform.

      And be sure to remind your elected officials that ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is one way to bring more money back into our national treasury. Instead of warfare, we need healthcare -- now! 

      -------------------

      Tips for Single-Payer Healthcare Activists participating in this effort: 

      We want to reach every member of Congress with our message. Current cosponsors of HR 676 should be thanked for their support and encouraged to be more active in support of this legislation. Non-cosponsors should be asked to get on board with HR 676 ASAP. Find the co-sponsors here.  

      Keeping calls brief and to the point is best and makes logging the issue and sending a clear message to Congressional members much more efficient. 

      Should the Congressional office want more information, you may give them Rep. Conyers' contact information or Healthcare-NOW!'s information. 

      Please keep track of your outreach efforts -- especially reactions to the calls that your members may note. All of this information is critical as we track the support in Congress for HR 676. Please report back about the Call-In day to Healthcare-NOW!. 

      How to contact your representative: You can find your representative's contact information here. We recommend calling and/or faxing on this day to get your message through. If possible, request to speak to the Chief of Staff or Health Care Aide, rather than leaving the message with whomever answers the phone. 

      Draft scripts: 

      HR 676 Co-sponsor call: 

      Hi, my name is _____________________. I am calling to thank Representative ___________________ for his/her support of HR 676, John Conyers' National Health Insurance Act. Rep. Conyers plans to reintroduce HR 676 shortly after the Congress is back in session in January, but I want to reaffirm my support for HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation and ask Rep. ____________________ to do the same by signing on again as a co-sponsor working for true reform of this terrible healthcare system. I say no to Massachusetts-style health care, and yes to single payer health care as proposed in HR 676. Single payer gives more freedom of choice and access to quality care for patients and it is the most economical way to make sure we all can access care when we need it. Now is the time to give the gift of healthcare for all to everyone in this country. Happy holidays and thank you. If you have any questions about single payer or about me, please call me at __________________. 

      Non-co-sponsor call:

      Hi, my name is _________. I am calling to urge Representative ___________________ to support of HR 676, John Conyers' National Health Insurance Act. Rep. Conyers plans to reintroduce HR 676 shortly after the Congress is back in session in January, and I want to reaffirm my support for HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation and ask Rep. ____________________ to do the same by signing on as a co-sponsor and working for true reform of this terrible healthcare system. I say no to Massachusetts-style health care, and yes to single payer health care as proposed in HR 676. Single payer gives more freedom of choice and access to quality care for patients and it is the most economical way to make sure we all can access care when we need it. Now is the time to give the gift of healthcare for all to everyone in this country. Happy holidays and thank you. If you have any questions about single payer or about me, please call me at __________________. 

      Message to Senator Kennedy: 

      Hi, my name is __________. I am calling to urge Senator Kennedy to make his proposed legislation for health care reform single-payer. The current reform in Massachusetts is leaving thousands uninsured and is far too expensive to be sustained because it leaves profit in the middle of our health care system. In the most recent election, local ballot initiatives supporting single payer and opposing individual mandates passed by landslide margins in all ten legislative districts where they appeared. With almost all precincts tallied, roughly 73 percent of 181,000 voters in the ten districts voted YES in support of a single-payer system. Say no to Massachusetts-style health care, and yes to single payer health care as proposed in HR 676. Happy holidays and thank you. If you have any questions about single payer or about me, please call me at __________________.
     

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
     
      Help us continue to do this critical work: Make a donation to UFPJ today.

      UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
      www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
      PO Box 607; Times Square Station; New York, NY 10108

      To subscribe, visit www.unitedforpeace.org/email

      Click here to edit your subscription | Click here to unsubscribe 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------


      No virus found in this incoming message.
      Checked by AVG. 
      Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.0/1861 - Release Date: 12/22/2008 11:23 AM
     
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20081222/a2fe737e/attachment.htm

More information about the Peace-discuss mailing list