Let’s pass health care reform together

Published on 09 September 2009 by Sam Hall in Email Updates

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Dear Democrat:

President Obama hit a home run tonight with his speech on health care reform. He was detailed in his plan. He answered the untruths and the criticisms from his opponents. And he called for a civil tone in the debate over this important issue.

Most everyone — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — agree that we need health care reform. We agree that everyone should have access to affordable health care. We agree that pre-existing conditions should be covered. We agree that costs should be cut.

President Obama recognizes that both sides have good ideas, and that’s why his plan takes parts from everyone. Here’s some of the key points he made in his speech:

  1. If you have coverage, nothing will change. You can keep your current coverage, and you will even benefit from new rules that prevent your insurance company from not covering pre-existing conditions or from dropping you because you become seriously ill.

  2. If you cannot find an affordable policy in your state, you will be able to get coverage through a public option. This public option will not be paid for by taxpayer money. It will be self-sustaining.

  3. The President will not sign a health care reform bill that adds one cent to the public debt. In fact, he is proposing a clause that says any savings that are promised but not realized must be offset by spending cuts.

  4. Medicare will not be cut. In fact, saving measures in the President’s plan could lead to increased benefits and more money for prescription drug coverage.

  5. We need civility in this debate. Health care reform is too important to be reduced to partisan political bickering. On this point, we should all agree.

If you missed the president’s speech, please visit our blog and read the play-by-play post that details what he said. You can find it here:

http://www.mississippidemocrats.org/blog/2009/live-blogging-the-presidents-speech/

After decades of trying to pass health care reform, now is the time to act. Tonight, the President outlined in clear terms a health care proposal filled with bipartisan ideas, cost-cutting measures and assurances for those who currently have coverage.

We hope that you will do your part to promote a civil debate over comprehensive health care reform. If that is achieved, so will health care reform itself.

Democratically yours,

Sam R. Hall
Executive Director

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