The Lion is at rest. Teddy Kennedy passed away…

August 26, 2009 Feeding Friends-z No Comments

Senator Teddy Kennedy passed away last night and our movement lost a hero. His leadership, his vision, and his passion will
never be forgotten.

As we grieve, we must honor his memory and re-dedicate ourselves to his fight. Right now, let’s listen to his words. Below
is a powerful video that lots of MoveOn members are passing around this morning:

Video of Teddy Kennedy

Click here to watch the video

Tonight, please light a candle in your window to memorialize him.

Tomorrow, as Senator Kennedy said, “…the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall
never die.”

Tomorrow, let’s re-commit ourselves to achieving the thing that mattered most to him: Quality, affordable health care for
every single American.

Thank you for all you do.

–Justin, Adam, Amy, Anna, Annie, Carrie, Christopher, Daniel, Danielle, Eli, Emily, Gail,
Ian, Ilya, Ilyse, Joan, Jodeen, Julie, Kat, Keauna, Laura, Lenore, Marika, Matt E., Matt S., Matthew, Melanie, Michael, Nita,
Noah, Peter, Sasha, Scott, Stephen, Steven, Susannah, Wes, and the entire MoveOn team

Debate about health insurance reform : from the White House

August 13, 2009 Health Care, Obama's Staff No Comments

Dear Friend,

This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.

Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.

As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let’s disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that’s actually been proposed.”

So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.

Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.

Thanks,
David

David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President

P.S. We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we’ve just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:

Health Insurance Reform Reality Check

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

  1. Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
  2. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
  3. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
  4. Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
  5. Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
  6. Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
  7. Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
  8. Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won’t be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

8 common myths about health insurance reform

  1. Reform will stop “rationing” - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a “government takeover” of health care or lead to “rationing.” To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
  2. We can’t afford reform: It’s the status quo we can’t afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
  3. Reform would encourage “euthanasia”: It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
  4. Vets’ health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans’ access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President’s budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
  5. Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
  6. Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare “doughnut” hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
  7. You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
  8. No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts.  Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose.  Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

  1. Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
  2. Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job.  Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
  3. Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
  4. Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
  5. Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
  6. The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
  7. Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
  8. The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

Venomous attacks on President Obama’s plans for health care and clean energy.

August 7, 2009 Energy, Health Care, Obama, U.S. Law and Policy No Comments

Dear MoveOn member,

It’s getting ugly out there.

All across the country, right-wing extremists are disrupting congressional town-hall meetings with venomous attacks on President Obama’s plans for health care and clean energy.

  • Last night in Tampa, Florida, a town hall meeting erupted into violence, with the police being called to break up fist fights and shoving matches.1
  • A Texas Democrat was shouted down by right-wing hecklers, many of whom admitted they didn’t even live in his district.2
  • One North Carolina representative announced he wouldn’t be holding any town-hall meetings after his office began receiving death threats.3
  • And in Maryland, protesters hung a Democratic congressman in effigy to oppose health-care reform.4

We’ve got a plan to fight back against these radical right-wingers. We’ve hired skilled grassroots organizers who are working with thousands of local volunteers to show Congress that ordinary Americans continue to support President Obama’s agenda for change. And we’re building new online tools to track events across the country and make sure MoveOn members turn out at each one.

But we need to scale up our efforts quickly to make sure this plan works. To really swing into action during this month’s congressional recess, we need to raise at least $250,000 immediately. Can you chip in $20 to support our work?

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/august.html?id=16748-9659800-yeA0K3x&t=1

If the shouts of the right-wing mobs are the only voices our senators and representatives hear over the recess, we’ll have a hard time passing health care and clean energy legislation.

That’s why we’re launching our Heat Up Congress campaign so quickly to fight back, using new technology to implement rapid response town hall turnout, organizing personal phone calls from small business leaders and donors to their representatives, running new ads, and activating an energized network of on-the-ground organizers and volunteers.

This month could decide the future of health care and clean energy in America—and we’re already one week in. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, now’s the time to get involved. Talk to your neighbors, go to a town hall meeting—and today, please chip in $20 to support our work:

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/august.html?id=16748-9659800-yeA0K3x&t=2

Thanks for all you do.

–Justin, Matt, Nita, Kat and the rest of the team

Sources: 

1. “Tampa Town Hall On Health Care Reform Disrupted By Violence,” The Huffington Post, August 6, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51727&id=16748-9659800-yeA0K3x&t=3

2. “Local Fox Reporter Attends Town Hall And Finds ‘Some Attendees Admit They Don’t Live In The District,’” Think Progress, August 4, 2009
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/04/gene-green-townhall/

3. “Dem Congressman’s Office: His Life Has Been Threatened Over Health Care Bill,” Talking Points Memo, August 5, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51724&id=16748-9659800-yeA0K3x&t=4

4. “The Danger Over the Right’s Anger,” Politico, August 3, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51726&id=16748-9659800-yeA0K3x&t=5

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Faking letters from ethnic groups to oppose progressive legislation?

August 3, 2009 Politics, U.S. Law and Policy No Comments

Dear MoveOn member,

Last week a special interest lobbying firm with ties to dirty energy companies1 was caught sending forged letters to a Democratic congressman’s office—urging him to oppose clean energy legislation.2

The letters claimed to be from a Hispanic non-profit called Creciendo Juntos and the local chapter of the NAACP. The only problem? Neither group had ever seen the letters, much less sent them.3

Faking letters from ethnic groups to oppose progressive legislation? It’s like Karl Rove is back running the show.

This incident could be just the tip of the iceberg—one small part of a coordinated campaign to undermine the president’s agenda. The House of Representatives has started to investigate how far this scam goes—but with allegations this serious, this is a federal criminal matter.4 

Can you sign our petition asking the Department of Justice to investigate whether the lobbying firm committed fraud? Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/roveisback/o.pl?id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=9

The petition reads:

A lobbying firm hired to fight against clean energy was caught sending forged letters from the NAACP and a Hispanic nonprofit to a Democratic congressman. Please conduct a thorough investigation into whether the firm, Bonner & Associates, committed fraud, and how often they’ve done this.

The thing is, this isn’t the first time this has happened.

The very same firm, Bonner & Associates, was caught in 2002 using an African American charity’s name to oppose legislation lowering drug prices—that time on behalf of their clients in the pharmaceutical industry.5

This time they are targeting freshman Democrat Tom Perriello, who has been a champion of clean energy jobs.

If we are going to get the change this country needs, we have to stop this kind of deceit on the part of special interests. Please sign the petition by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/roveisback/o.pl?id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=10

Thanks for all you do,

–Justin, Ilya, Ilyse, Peter and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “The Case of the Forged Letters—a cap-and-trade mystery,” Reuters, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51703&id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=11

2. “Fake Out: Forged Letters Urged Congressman To Vote Against Climate Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51693&id=&t=6&id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=12

3. “Forged Letters to Congressman Anger Local Groups,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51695&id=&t=7&id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=13

4. “Congress To Probe Forged Climate Change Letters,” Talking Points Memo, July 31, 2009. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51697&id=&t=8&id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=14

5. “Community Leaders Decry Lobby Firm’s Fax,” The Baltimore Sun, March 9, 2002. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51696&id=&t=9&id=16707-9659800-7bxNMUx&t=15

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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