The Ongoing Battle in Health Care (D/R)e-from

At current, it appears that any votes on health care reform will be waiting until after the August recess. It also appears that there WILL be congressional votes in mid-September immediately following the August recess. In the house, three separate committees (the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, and the Education and Labor Committee) have passed versions of the bill that must now be combined and then voted on. The Senate Finance Committee is looking at a September 15 vote deadline.

You may be saying, "What can I do?" Well, during the August recess, members of congress don't just run away to Aruba or some nice vacation spot. Many do for a short time and some do for longer, but most are campaigning in their constituent arenas. There are going to be quite a few of the now famous town hall meetings. Find one near you and go. It is a great place to give your opinion. Also, you can call their office. Those of us hear in Georgia will most likely meet less resistance that those of you elsewhere. Our congressmen from Georgia have an office that is fairly receptive to the messages we send them. You can find the phone number for your congressmen here http://www.senate.gov/ and here http://www.house.gov/. If getting through by phone doesn't work, send them a note.

Whatever you do, my advice is to tell anybody with a vote the following:
Please vote "No" to any version of a bill that mandates health insurance or to any bill with a government health insurance option.

Instead, encourage those with a vote to seek legislation that helps to eliminate frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs for doctors and hospitals. Also encourage them to vote for legislation that will give individuals who acquire their own insurance the same tax breaks that business which provide insurance for their employees receive. Legislation such as these will go far in lowering the cost of health care in America.