Call to Action
March 16, 2010
Contact: Sheacy Thompson
Phone: (469) 742-0100
Call to Action: Stop Health Care Reform
It Could Pass This Week
The U.S. House of Representatives is planning to vote on President Obama’s nearly $1 trillion health care reform plan by the end of this week. However, if there are not enough votes to actually pass the bill, then Speaker Nancy Pelosi has suggested that she will consider using a tactic known as the “self-executing rule” to pass legislation to radically overhaul our health care system without an actual vote in the House.
According to the Library of Congress’ Congressional Research Service, the self-executing rule is a two-for-one procedure, meaning that when the House adopts a rule, it also simultaneously agrees to a separate matter, which is specified in the rule itself. For instance, self-executing rules may stipulate that a policy proposal, such as the health care reform plan, is deemed to have passed the House, albeit discretely, and been incorporated in the bill to be considered. House lawmakers would not have the opportunity to amend or vote separately on the self-executed provision, as it would automatically be agreed to when the House passed the rule.
Originally, the self-executing rule was used to expedite House action by accepting all Senate amendments to House-passed bills. However, Speaker Pelosi could exploit this procedure to allow House members to approve the Senate health care reform bill without actually voting on it, thus keeping those members who support the bill from having to accept responsibility for its passing.
A decision by the House to use the self-executing rule to pass health care reform bill faces Constitutional problems and will most assuredly be challenged in the Courts. And so, the Administration and congressional leaders who support the overreaching health care legislation continue to strong arm members into voting for the plan, as they fortunately do not currently have the numbers to pass this legislation outright.
While there is broad agreement that our current health care system is in-need of change, the recent proposals considered in Congress would dramatically increase health care costs while removing the patient from the decision-making process. Big government programs continue to fail, and I am not at all comfortable with putting my health and the health of my family into the hands of bureaucrats and agenda-driven politicians.
As concerned citizens, we have an obligation to contact the members who are sitting on the fence and encourage them to find solutions for improving the quality, accessibility and affordability of health care, rather than shoving through an outrageously expensive health care reform bill that lacks meaningful changes. Therefore, I encourage you to join me in contacting the handful of congressmen who are currently undecided and have the opportunity to do what is right for
Below is a list of Democrat congressmen who are pro-life but supported Obama’s 2009 health care plan as well as a list of moderate Democrats who are currently undecided. This list is provided by the Republican Party of Texas. Please contact as many members on this list as possible to make your voice heard.
Call the 12 Pro-Life Members who supported the pro-life Stupak Amendment but voted for Obama’s Health Care plan in 2009, and tell them to stand up for life and oppose ObamaCare:
Ahn "Joseph" Cao (Republican)
http://josephcao.house.gov
Phone: (202) 225-6636
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Jerry Costello
http://costello.house.gov/
(202) 225-5661
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Kathy Dahlkemper
http://www.dahlkemper.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-5406
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Joe Donnelly
http://donnelly.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-3915
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Steve Driehaus
http://driehaus.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-2216
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Brad Ellsworth
http://www.ellsworth.house.gov
phone: (202) 225-4636
8th Congressional District of
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Marcy Kaptur
http://www.kaptur.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-4146
9th Congressional District of Ohio
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Dale E. Kildee
http://www.house.gov/kildee/
Phone: 202-225-3611
5th Congressional District of Illinois
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Daniel Lipinski
http://www.lipinski.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-5701
3rd Congressional District of Illinois
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James Oberstar
http://oberstar.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-6211
8th Congressional District of Minnesota
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Bart Stupak
http://www.house.gov/stupak/
Phone: (202) 225 4735
1st Congressional District of Michigan
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Charlie Wilson
http://www.charliewilson.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-5705
6th Congressional District of Ohio
Call these moderate Democrats who were called to the White House to be pressured to vote for Obama’s health care plan and tell them that voting “yes” will cost them their jobs:
John Adler
http://adler.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-4765
3rd District of New Jersey
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Jason Altmire
http://altmire.house.gov/
Phone: 202-225-2565
4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania
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Melissa Bean
Phone: 202-225-3711
http://www.house.gov/bean/
8th Congressional District of Illinois
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Lois Capps
http://capps.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-3601
23rd Congressional District of California
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Joseph Crowley
http://crowley.house.gov/
Phone: 202-225-3965
7th Congressional District of New York
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Ron Kind
http://www.kind.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-5506
3rd Congressional District of Wisconsin
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Allyson Schwartz
http://schwartz.house.gov/
phone: (202) 225-6111
13th Congressional District of Pennsylvania
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Other potential “no vote”:
Solomon Ortiz
http://www.house.gov/formortiz/issue.htm
Phone: (202) 225-7742
