OFA Blog

President Obama Calls on Senate Democrats to "Finish the job"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:43:10 EST

With the Senate preparing to enter its second full week of debate on health reform legislation, President Obama made a visit to Capitol Hill today to urge Senate Democrats to seize this moment and answer the call of history. The New York Times reported:

President Obama exhorted Senate Democrats on Sunday to put aside their fierce policy differences and to make history by passing landmark health care legislation.

Making a rare Sunday visit to the Capitol as Republicans and Democrats spent the weekend clashing over the health care bill on the Senate floor, Mr. Obama urged the Democrats in a private meeting “to finish the job” and warned that the “most costly outcome for all is a failure to finish,” according to officials in the room.

“His message was very simple,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the assistant majority leader. “He reminded us why we are here. He reminded us why we run for office. And he reminded us how many people are counting on us to come through.”

Mr. Durbin added: “He urged us to get the job done and said he is ready to help us.”

Talking Points Memo added:

A number of senators suggested Obama's remarks provided the party and the legislation with much-needed momentum.

"I think it helped, more than significantly," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

"I can tell you, it would be very hard to have listened to the president's presentation and not have been persuaded of the historic importance of what's being discussed here," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND). "It was a powerful speech."

The President's Weekly Address: Pushing Forward on Jobs

Christopher Hass — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:39:05 EST

"The best jobs report we’ve seen since 2007"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:00:04 EST

The Labor Department released its monthly employment survey today, and though the U.S. lost 11,000 jobs in November, that number was nearly 115,000 fewer than was forecast. The overall unemployment rate decreased, and the report found that nearly 160,000 fewer jobs had been lost over the last two months than had been previously thought. The New York Times called this "the strongest employment report since the recession began nearly two years ago."

Speaking at an event in Allentown, Pennsylvania today, President Obama explained:

This is good news, just in time for the season of hope. But I want to keep this in perspective. We still have a long way to go. I still consider one job lost one job too many. And as I said yesterday at a jobs conference in Washington, good trends don't pay the rent. We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can.
The journey from here will not be without setbacks or struggle. There will be more bumps in the road. But the direction is clear. When you think about how this year began, today’s report is a welcome sign that there are better days ahead.

Following yesterday's White House Forum on Jobs and Growth, the President is scheduled to speak next Tuesday about the proposals he will be sending to Congress to help jumpstart private sector hiring and get Americans back to work.

Morning News

Christopher Hass — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:10:10 EST

The Hill:

President Barack Obama backed a push for job creation measures despite long-term concerns about the deficit at a White House jobs summit Thursday.

One day ahead of an unemployment report expected to show the jobless rate still in double digits, Obama called on business executives, labor leaders and economic experts who attended the summit to deliver a message to politicians skeptical of more spending. The president argued that the immediate concern for lawmakers should be over unemployment, not curtailing spending and other measures that were aimed at rebuilding the economy.

Obama is expected to press for more action on the employment front when he visits Allentown, Pa., for a jobs event Friday and gives a speech on the economy at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday…
The White House billed Thursday's "Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth" as a chance for the president to solicit ideas to include in the coming jobs bill. Obama voiced support for a number of ideas, including increased credit for small businesses and fiscal aid for state and local governments…
"So we've got about as difficult a economic play as is possible, which is to press the accelerator in terms of job growth, but then know when to apply the brakes in the out years and do that credibly," he said…

New York Times editorial:

The health insurance industry frightened Americans — and gave Republicans a shrill talking point — when it declared in October that proposed reform legislation would drive up insurance costs for virtually everyone by as much as thousands of dollars a year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office persuasively contradicted that claim this week.

Undaunted, the industry issued a rebuttal report, claiming again that premiums would soar. We find this second industry report no more persuasive than the first.

In its long-awaited study, the C.B.O. estimates that most Americans would pay the same or less in premiums in 2016, after reforms have kicked in, than they would pay under current law. Those who work for large employers (more than 50 workers) would, on average, see their premiums hold steady or drop by up to 3 percent per person covered. Those who work for small employers would also not see much change — anywhere from a 1 percent increase to a 2 percent reduction...

...And we have far more confidence in the C.B.O.’s expertise in evaluating a wide array of databases and in its objectivity. The chief message Americans should derive from the C.B.O.’s analysis is that tens of millions of uninsured Americans can be covered without driving up costs for everyone else.

Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist:

Healthcare reform hangs in the balance. Its fate rests with a handful of “centrist” senators — senators who claim to be mainly worried about whether the proposed legislation is fiscally responsible.
But if they’re really concerned with fiscal responsibility, they shouldn’t be worried about what would happen if health reform passes. They should, instead, be worried about what would happen if it doesn’t pass. For America can’t get control of its budget without controlling health care costs — and this is our last, best chance to deal with these costs in a rational way...
First, the uninsured in America are, on average, relatively young and healthy; covering them wouldn’t raise overall health care costs very much.
Second, the proposed health care reform links the expansion of coverage to serious cost-control measures for Medicare. Think of it as a grand bargain: coverage for (almost) everyone, tied to an effort to ensure that health care dollars are well spent.
Are we talking about real savings, or just window dressing? Well, the health care economists I respect are seriously impressed by the cost-control measures in the Senate bill, which include efforts to improve incentives for cost-effective care, the use of medical research to guide doctors toward treatments that actually work, and more…
The fact that we’re seeing the first really serious attempt to control health care costs as part of a bill that tries to cover the uninsured seems to confirm what would-be reformers have been saying for years: The path to cost control runs through universality. We can only tackle out-of-control costs as part of a deal that also provides Americans with the security of guaranteed health care.

White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Underway Now

Christopher Hass — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:36:18 EST

Today's White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth is underway now -- you can follow along throughout the afternoon at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATED: WhiteHouse.gov is currently streaming six different breakout sessions. Follow along at:

Green Jobs: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/innovation-agenda-and-green-jobs-future

Exports: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/expanding-job-opportunities-american-workers-through-exports

Small Business: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/paving-road-small-business-job-growth

Infrastructure: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/creating-jobs-through-rebuilding-america-s-infrastructure

Business Investment: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/encouraging-business-competitiveness-and-job-creation

Main Street Workers: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/preparing-workers-and-strengthening-main-street

Live at WhiteHouse.gov: The President's Jobs and Economic Growth Forum

Christopher Hass — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:51:10 EST

This afternoon, President Obama will host a Jobs and Economic Growth Forum at the White House, with many of the discussions and events throughout the day streamed live online at WhiteHouse.gov. The forum is an opportunity for the President and the economic team to hear from some of the leading CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, nonprofit heads and thinkers about ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work.

The President is scheduled to deliver opening remarks at 1:20 P.M. Eastern. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and the Vice President will also be on hand to speak. Following the opening session, senior administration officials will host discussions on job creation and expanding the economy. WhiteHouse.gov will be providing multi-channel live streams of the breakout sessions throughout the afternoon. Here’s a brief rundown of the discussion groups:

• The Innovation Agenda and Green Jobs of the Future: A breakout group to discuss new and additional ideas for creating green jobs, including through encouraging energy efficiency and investment in renewable technologies. Moderator: Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Carol Browner

• Paving the Road for Small Business Job Growth: A chance for small business leaders and others to discuss what additional steps would be most effective in encouraging small businesses to taking the next step in hiring. Moderator: Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner and Small Business Administration Administrator, Karen Mills

• Creating Jobs through the Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure: A breakout group focusing on the best ways to make infrastructure investment a longer term commitment to helping the economy continue on a path to recovery. Moderator: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag

• Expanding Job Opportunities for American Workers Through Exports: A breakout group focusing on how we can continue to take advantage of the rebound in global trade and how to change the tide from consumption driven to export driven growth. Moderator: Director of the National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers and President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Fred Hochberg

• Encouraging Business Competitiveness and Job Creation: A substantive discussion on ways to encourage businesses to invest and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Christina Romer

• Preparing Workers and Strengthening Main Street: A session focusing on the challenges facing main street as it seeks to prosper, grow and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis and Director of White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes

Watch live beginning at 1:20 P.M. Eastern at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

FACTCHECK BARRASSO: Fearmongering On Mammograms

Christopher Hass — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:54:03 EST

Please see below for a fact check on Senator Barrasso's remarks this morning on the Senate floor that health reform will affect women's access to mammograms:

RHETORIC: Barrasso Said That The Senate Health Care Bill Would Have Government Bureaucrats Making Decisions For Women On Whether They Were Allowed To Have Screening Mammograms. Sen. John Barrasso: "I do not want a government bureaucrat making a decision for the women of America if they should be allowed to have screening mammograms. It saves lives, 1 in 1,900 for women in their 40's. The Reid bill empowers bureaucrats to decide what benefits will be allowed for the american women. The amendment from the Senator from Maryland does the same: bureaucrats, not the physicians who are in the -- who are doing the treating." [Senate Floor, 12/3/09]

REALITY: MAMMOGRAM TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION IS NOT AT ALL INVOLVED IN HEALTH REFORM

Task Force’s Recommendations on Mammograms Had Nothing to Do With Cost—And They Are Prohibited from Considering Cost When Evaluating Treatments. Members of the Preventive Services Task Force “said politics and questions of cost were never part of their discussions of the risks and benefits of mammograms — in fact they are prohibited from considering costs when they make guidelines. It was the scientific evidence, they said, that led them to conclude that women in their 40s should carefully consider whether they want to be screened rather than assuming they should start screening then. And it was the evidence, they said, that led them to conclude that screening every other year provides all the benefits of screening annually.” [New York Times, 11/20/09]

NYT: “The Only Part Of The Reform Bills That Could Affect Mammography Would Only Make Them More Accessible.” The New York Times wrote in an editorial: “Opponents of the health care reform bills moving through Congress have seized on the new recommendations as evidence that the government is seeking to put bureaucrats between you and your doctor or that it would ration care by denying coverage for some mammograms that are now covered. There is virtually no chance that any insurers, either public or private, will deny coverage to anyone based on these recommendations. Government and industry officials have said that explicitly and, in fact, every state but Utah requires private insurers to pay for mammograms for women starting in their 40s…The only part of the reform bills that could affect mammography would only make them more accessible. Under the legislation, the secretary of health and human services might be given authority to waive Medicare co-payments for prevention services that rank highly in the opinion of this task force. Since the task force gave a low grade to screening women in their 40s, the secretary could not waive cost-sharing for them.” [New York Times Editorial, 11/20/09]

Sec. Sebelius: Mammogram Recommendations Come From “An Outside Independent Panel Of Doctors And Scientists…They Do Not Set Federal Policy And They Don’t Determine What Services Are Covered By The Federal Government.” In a statement, Sec. Kathleen Sebelius said, “[t]here is no question that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The U.S. Preventive Task Force is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don’t determine what services are covered by the federal government…My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years – talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you.” [Politico, 11/19/09]

Sebelius Pledged That Every Insurance Plan in the Exchange Would Continue to Pay for Mammograms for Women Over 40. Asked, “Would you be willing to pledge, as long as you are the secretary of Health and Human Services, that you will make sure that every plan offered on the exchange will give coverage for annual mammograms for women over 40?” Sebelius answered, “Well, yes. I think that is an important service. It's a determination that we've made.” [NPR, 11/19/09]

REALITY: HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM WILL NOT CREATE GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE

Politifact: “Obama Health Plan Does Not Call For Government-Run Health Care.” “Obama health plan does not call for government-run health care.” [Politifact, 3/5/09]

Factcheck.org: "President Obama Hasn’t Proposed A Government-Run [Health Care] Plan And, In Fact, Has Rejected The Idea." FactCheck.org: "President Obama hasn’t proposed a government-run [health care] plan and, in fact, has rejected the idea." [FactCheck.org, 5/6/09]

Factcheck.org: President Obama Hasn’t Proposed Government-Run Health Care. FactCheck.org: "We’ve written before about conservatives claiming that Congress, or Obama, or Washington, or Democrats in general want the U.S. to have a Canadian-style, government-run health care system. The truth of the matter is that the president has repeatedly said he doesn’t." [FactCheck.org, 8/10/09]

AMA President-Elect Reassured: Physicians And Patients Don’t Need To Fear The Rise Of A Monolithic Health System With No Choice From President Obama. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that “American Medical Association president-elect Dr. James Rohack told Mississippi doctors Friday…Physicians and patients don't need to fear the rise of a monolithic health system with no choice, because it's not something the American people would accept, Rohack said. The president didn't advocate a single-payer system for the United States at the meeting, Rohack said. Obama said he believes in access to health care for all with a system that is a mix of public and private sources with patients still able to see the physicians of their choice.” [Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 5/30/09]

The President's Address to the Nation: "The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:45:07 EST

Here's the full video of last night's speech at West Point:

President Obama Address the Nation on Afghanistan

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:55:47 EST

President Obama will address the nation on his plan for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point tonight. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. Eastern, and will be covered live on all of the major television news networks and can be viewed online at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

CBO Report on the Recovery Act: Up to 1.6 Million Jobs Saved or Created So Far

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:10:23 EST

The independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report late Monday on the economic impact of the Recovery Act. The CBO determined that, between its inception in February of this year and the end of September, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has:

    • Saved or Created up to 1.6 Million Jobs
    • Added up to 3.2% to the Growth of Real GDP
    • Reduced the Unemployment Rate by as Much as 0.9 Percentage Points

Earlier today, Vice President Biden released the following statement in response to the report:

“This new report from the Congressional Budget Office is further evidence of what private forecasters and government economists have been saying: the Recovery Act is already responsible for more than 1 million jobs nationwide. From independent economists to Congress’s own nonpartisan research body, the experts have spoken and the debate is no longer whether the Recovery Act is creating and saving jobs, but how we provide even more opportunities to drive growth and support American workers. This early progress less than halfway through the program is encouraging, but we’re just getting started. In the coming months, we’ll break ground on thousands of infrastructure projects, launch multi-billion dollar broadband and high speed rail initiatives and make critical investments in our nation’s schools and businesses through the Recovery Act that will help put America back to work and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth.”

World AIDS Day

Christopher Hass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:56:13 EST

Every December 1st, since 1988, people around the globe have united behind World AIDS Day in an effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Last week, President Obama released a presidential proclamation in support of World AIDS Day, encouraging to join in remembering those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease:

Our Nation joins the world in celebrating the extraordinary advancements we have made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and remembering those we have lost. Over the past three decades, brave men and women have fought devastating discrimination, stigma, doubt, and violence as they stood in the face of this deadly disease. Many of them would not be here today, but for the dedication of other persons living with HIV, their loved ones and families, community advocates, and members of the medical profession. On World AIDS Day, we rededicate ourselves to developing a national AIDS strategy that will establish the priorities necessary to combat this devastating epidemic at home, and to renewing our leadership role and commitments abroad.

Though we have been witness to incredible progress, our struggle against HIV/AIDS is far from over. With an infection occurring every nine-and-a-half minutes in America, there are more than one million individuals estimated to be living with the disease in our country. Of those currently infected, one in five does not know they have the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate as it infiltrates neighborhoods and communities. Americans of any gender, age, ethnicity, income, or sexual orientation can and are contracting the disease.

Globally, there are over 33 million people living with HIV. While millions have died from this disease, the death rate is slowly declining due, in part, to our Nation's global effort through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. However, HIV remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Women and children around the world are particularly vulnerable due to gender inequalities, gaps in access to services, and increases in sexual violence. While the statistics are distressing, new medications and scientific advancements give us reason for hope.

Tackling this disease will take an aggressive, steadfast approach. My Administration is developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy to bolster our response to the domestic epidemic, and a global health initiative that will build on PEPFAR's success. We will develop a strategy to reduce HIV incidence, improve access to care, and help eliminate HIV-related health disparities. We have already ensured that visitors to our shores living with HIV are not marginalized and discriminated against because of their HIV status. We have also secured the continuation of critical HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. Today, we recommit ourselves to building on the accomplishments of the past decades that have dramatically changed the domestic and global HIV/AIDS landscape.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2009, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

President to Address the Nation on Afghanistan on Tuesday Night

Christopher Hass — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:07:54 EST

On Tuesday night, President Obama will address the nation on his plan for Afghanistan in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. Eastern, and will be covered live on all of the major television news networks and can be viewed online at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Attend an OFA National Training Event

Christopher Hass — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:07:44 EST

From Nicole Derse, the OFA National Training Director:

I wanted to invite you to a special OFA National Training we're holding for some of our top volunteers in early December.

The training is a great chance to learn how to make the biggest impact in your community, ask questions, and learn specific skills such as how to talk with your neighbors about health reform and use OFA's technology to organize most effectively.

RSVP now to reserve your spot in an OFA National Training event near you:
During the election last year, we learned that when we build a dedicated community of volunteer leaders, we can bring about powerful change.

This training is part of building our momentum on the ground -- strengthening our community in every part of the country by bringing volunteers together, learning and sharing best practices, and refining our plan to move forward with our vision for the future.

I hope you can make it,

Nicole

Nicole Derse
National Training Director
Organizing for America

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:18:11 EST

Video: President Obama Pardons White House Turkey

Christopher Hass — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:07 EST

In case you missed it, here's the full video of President Obama granting the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to the Official White House Turkey, in a ceremony that took place Wednesday:

Weekly Address: President Obama Delivers Thanksgiving Greeting

Christopher Hass — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:29:01 EST

Given the holiday, the White House released the President's Weekly Address early this week, and President Obama took the opportunity to call to our attention the men and women in uniform who are away from home, sacrificing time with family to protect our safety and freedom. He also talks about the progress of health care reform, the Recovery Act, and job creation, as we work to ensure that next Thanksgiving will be a brighter day:

Thanksgiving Message from the President

Christopher Hass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:57 EST

Earlier this afternoon, President Obama sent supporters a special Thanksgiving message of thanks and gratitude:

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.

American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.

Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.

So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.

But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.

The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.

We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.

In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.

You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.

So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.

With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,

President Barack Obama

President Obama to Attend Copenhagen Climate Talks

Christopher Hass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:03:15 EST

The White House announced today that President Obama will travel to Copenhagen on Dec. 9 to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in order to work with the international community to drive progress toward a comprehensive and operational Copenhagen accord. The White House also announced that President Obama is prepared to put on the table a U.S. emissions reduction target in the range of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.

The Washington Post reported that the announcement provides "new momentum" for the talks, saying:

Obama's decision to attend -- and commit to an emission reduction target -- prompted an outpouring of support from the environmental community and its Democratic allies ...

Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry (D-Mass.), who is working to fashion a bipartisan compromise climate bill along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), said the administration's decision to put specific climate goals on the table at the United Nations-sponsored talks amounts to "a global game changer with big reverberations here at home."

"The Obama administration is now undeniably mustering bonafide leadership on climate change, not merely departing from Bush administration intransigence and ideology," Kerry said. "By announcing a provisional target, contingent on the support of Congress, the president has defined a path to an international agreement that challenges the developed and developing nations of the to fulfill their obligations.

Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, said it marked the first time Obama has "signaled that he's ready to roll up his sleeves to make a climate change deal happen."

Underscoring President Obama’s commitment to American leadership on clean energy and combating climate change, the White House also announced today that a host of Cabinet secretaries and other top officials from across the Administration will travel to Copenhagen for the conference. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson are all scheduled to attend, along with Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner.

Read the full White House press release...

A Big Step: Senate Votes to Begin Debate on Health Reform Bill

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:27:07 EST

Just a few moments ago, the Senate voted 60-39 to move forward with debate on health reform legislation. OFA Director Mitch Stewart explained:

For the first time ever, the Senate just voted to begin debate on a comprehensive health insurance reform bill. This was the first big hurdle we had to overcome to pass reform through the full Senate.

The decision was close -- and insurance company lobbyists were working overtime to defeat us -- but your calls this week made a huge difference.

There are more fights ahead, but this is a big victory and I wanted to take a minute to thank you for making it possible.

The Senate is expected to begin debate following the Thanksgiving break.

Senate to Vote Tonight on Motion to Proceed to Health Reform Legislation

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:08:20 EST

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the Senate version of the health reform bill on Wednesday, and tonight the full Senate is expected to vote on the "motion to proceed," which would clear the way for the Senate to begin debate on the bill. Sixty votes are needed to pass cloture on the motion, after which the bill would move to the floor for discussion.

CNN reports:

Proceedings got under way shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday and will last through the early evening.

Around 8 p.m., the Senate will hold a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture.

Reid needs 60 votes to overcome a certain GOP filibuster attempt and open the chamber's debate on the bill. It also would take 60 votes to close debate that could last for weeks, while final approval of the bill would require only a simple majority.

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:11:39 EST

Twisting the Truth: Senate Republicans' Deceptions on Health Insurance Reform

Christopher Hass — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:32 EST

Another debate over health insurance reform, another weekend of Republicans inventing reasons to just say "no." Locked into their defense of the status quo, most Senate Republicans spent the debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act spouting nonsensical, often already debunked, claims.

With so many distortions to correct from so many Republican Senators, we've gathered the facts (and the charges they refute) in one place. It's a long read, no question — and that goes to show how obstructionist Republicans have become.

Read the fact checks (39 of them in all) on Senate Republicans after the jump.

FACT CHECK McCain: Check The Bill, Senator

FACT CHECK McConnell: Cost Of Legislation Distortions

FACT CHECK Grassley: Grassley Confuses Up With Down

FACT CHECK Kyl: Scare Tactics On Increasing Premiums

FACT CHECK Hatch: Health Care Will Not Be Rationed

FACT CHECK McCain: Medicare

FACT CHECK Hatch: Distorting the Debate

FACT CHECK Cornyn: State Budgets and Medicaid

FACT CHECK Burr: Small Businesses

FACT CHECK Corker: Misleading on Medicare

FACT CHECK AEI: Cost of Reform

FACT CHECK: Palin Damages Credibility Again

FACT CHECK Johanns, Hatch, Brownback: Abortion

FACT CHECK Thune: Small Business

FACT CHECK Bond: Debunked Health Insurance Industry Study

FACT CHECK Bond: Bond's Arguments Against Health Care Amount To A Pig In A Poke

FACT CHECK Gregg: Gregg's Hypocrisy On The Debt

FACT CHECK Enzi: Premiums, Medicare And Medicaid

FACT CHECK Coburn: Rationing

FACT CHECK: Senator Pat Roberts Uses Falsehoods And Fear-Mongering to Claim Health Insurance Reform Will Lead To Rationing

FACT CHECK: Sen. Gregg Lies About Price Of Health Insurance Reform...Again

FACT CHECK Sen. Ensign: Rationing And GOP Plan

FACT CHECK Barrasso: Repeats Already Debunked Lie About Medicare

FACT CHECK: Sen. Jon Kyl Defends Status Quo Of Rising Premiums

FACT CHECK Kyl: Kyl Praises Republican Plan That Worsens Healthcare Crisis

FACT CHECK Lemieux: Siding With Insurance Companies

FACT CHECK Kyl: Medicare

FACT CHECK Burr: Burr Repeats Multiple Debunked Lies On Insurance Reform

FACT CHECK Hutchison: "Government Takeover"

FACT CHECK Chambliss/Brownback: Revisionist History

FACT CHECK Barrasso: Medicare

FACT CHECK Gregg: Gregg Ignores CBO

That Was Fast...

FACT CHECK Enzi: Cost Of Reform

Gregg Complains About Debt He Helped Create

Hatch Hatches More Distortions on Health Care

Boehner's Abortion Distortion

Well Senator, That’s Just Not True

Hatch Tries Health Care Hatchet Job And Hatchets Own Reputation

FACT CHECK McCain: Check The Bill, Senator

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator McCain said:

“[t]he disconnect between what President Obama says and what he is doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. Now that's strong language from an economist. And so I think that what the senator from Tennessee is saying, and what we're trying to say is let's go forward. Why don't we let people go across state lines to get health insurance policies of their choice? Why don't we reward wellness and fitness? Why don't we have -- there's a long list of -- of amendments – of – of fixes to the long-term cost of health care that we could control that we can act tomorrow in a bipartisan basis.”

REALITY: SENATE HEALTH BILL DELIVERS COMPETITION TO MARKETPLACE

Wall Street Analyst To Health Insurance Industry: Public Option “Looks Like A [Blue Cross Blue Shield] Plan,” Which Are “Strong Competitors For Private Insurers.” The New York Times Prescriptions Blog wrote, “[i]n a report sent to investors earlier this week, a Wall Street analyst, Richard Evans, concludes that the health insurance industry should probably not worry much about the prospect of a government-run health plan — at least not as it now is taking shape in Congress. As things stands now, Mr. Evans notes, the proposed legislation does not call for the new government-run plan, or public option, to be able to demand the same low prices that Medicare gets from doctors and hospitals. Private insurers have argued that Medicare-pegged rates would give the public option an unfair advantage over their plans… ‘It appears the public option would be required to negotiate price with providers, pay back its start-up capital, cover its operating costs, and earn sufficient reserves,’ wrote Mr. Evans, a managing partner for Sector & Sovereign. ‘In other words, it looks like a Blues plan.’ Mr. Evans writes that the not-for-profit Blue Cross plans may be strong competitors for private insurers, but not deadly ones. Where they operate, he notes, they tend to have the largest share of the market but seem to be able to co-exist with for-profit insurance companies. ‘This suggests that a not-for profit public option has some enrollment advantages over for-profit commercial insurers, but that the effect is modest,’ he wrote.” [New York Times Prescriptions Blog, 11/3/09]

CBO On Senate Bill: 94% Coverage, 31 Million Newly Insured. In its estimate of the Senate reform bill, CBO wrote: “By 2019, CBO and JCT estimate, the number of nonelderly people who are uninsured would be reduced by about 31 million, leaving about 24 million nonelderly residents uninsured (about one-third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants). Under the legislation, the share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage would rise from about 83 percent currently to about 94 percent. About 25 million people would purchase their own coverage through the new insurance exchanges, and there would be roughly 15 million more enrollees in Medicaid and CHIP than is projected under current law.” [Congressional Budget Office, 11/18/09]

REALITY: CURRENT SENATE BILL ALREADY REWARDS HEALTHY BEHAVIOR

Senate Finance Committee Approved Bipartisan Amendment To Health Bill That Encourages Healthy Behavior Through Financial Incentives. “U.S. Senate panel on [in September] adopted a measure aimed at rewarding healthy behavior in a sweeping healthcare overhaul sought by President Barack Obama as lawmakers pushed to complete the legislation. The Senate Finance Committee voted for an amendment offered by Republican Senator John Ensign and Democrat Thomas Carper that would allow health plans to provide financial incentives for people to quit smoking, exercise more and engage in other healthy activities. ‘I believe that the key to achieving savings is to provide rewards for people who engage in healthy behaviors,’ Ensign argued. The measure passed on a 18-4 vote.” [Reuters, 9/30/09]

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Includes Provisions to Reward Health Behavior. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes provisions for rewarding healthy behavior such as participation in smoking cessation, weight management, physical fitness, and nutrition programs. [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Full Text, pg. 29]

FACT CHECK MCCONNELL: Cost Of Legislation Distortions

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator McConnell said:

“At a moment when more than one out of 10 working Americans is looking for a job, at a time when the Chinese are lecturing us about our debt, this bill – this bill right $5 trillion government doesn't have. And can't afford. It imposes punishing taxes on almost everyone. It raises health insurance premiums on the 85% of Americans who already have health insurance. And if that were not bad enough, it slashes Medicare by half a trillion dollars. Anyone who votes aye tonight, president, is voting for all of these things.”

REALITY: THE SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL WOULD SLASH THE DEFICIT BY OVER $750 BILLION IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS DESPITE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS' CLAIM

WSJ: CBO’s Estimate Of Senate Bill Is $848 Billion, Cuts Deficit By $130 Billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage…In a boost for the bill's prospects, the CBO estimated the Senate measure would reduce the federal budget deficit by $130 billion over the next decade, and additional amounts over the second 10 years of the program. It achieves that in part through a new Medicare payroll tax and a tax on high-value insurance plans, which has aroused strong opposition…To help ease the financial burden on workers, Mr. Reid lowered the maximum amount the bill would require them to spend on premiums, capping premiums at 9.8% of income, down from 12%.” [Wall Street Journal, 11/19/09]

Roll Call On CBO Score: Senate Bill “Slash[es] The Deficit By A Whopping $777 Billion Over The Next 20 Years,” Sen. Kent Conrad Said Sen. Reid Did “An Exceptionally Good Job.” Roll Call reported that, “[a]t first blush, Reid scored a coup with his $849 billion bill, because Democrats said the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would slash the deficit by a whopping $777 billion over the next 20 years while providing insurance for an additional 31 million Americans. The price tag is also less than the $900 billion President Barack Obama had called for and the $1.2 trillion cost of the House-passed version… ‘He was applauded. His staff was applauded,’ said Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a deficit hawk who said Reid did ‘an exceptionally good job.’” [Roll Call, 11/18/09]

Ezra Klein On Senate Bill: CBO Statements Confirm That, “The Curve, As They Say, Is Bent.” The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein wrote of the Senate health reform bill: “One actual surprise is that the Senate bill doesn't just pay for itself. It balances itself out. That is to say, the bill is not deficit neutral because it costs a billion dollars and then the government raises a billion more dollars in taxes. In that scenario, the government is spending more, but paying for it. Rather, ‘CBO expects that, during the decade following the 10-year budget window, the increases and decreases in the federal budgetary commitment to health care stemming from this legislation would roughly balance out, so that there would be no significant change in that commitment.’ In the first 10 years, in other words, the bill improves the deficit a bit, but the government is spending $160 billion more on health care than it otherwise would have. In the second decade, however, that ends: The savings from Medicare and Medicaid, paired with the excise tax (which CBO says ‘is effectively a reduction in the existing tax expenditure for health insurance premiums’) and a handful of other changes, leaves the government spending no more on health care than it otherwise planned to. That's impressive stuff. And it implies, of course, that in the third decade, the federal commitment actually goes down relative to expectation. The curve, as they say, is bent.” [Washington Post – Ezra Klein, 11/19/09]

REALITY: MEDICARE SAVINGS DO NOT CUT BENEFITS, THEY STRENGTHEN MEDICARE

FactCheck.org: “We Never Have Said That Seniors Would Suffer ‘Massive Cuts To Medicare Benefits’ Under [Health Reform Legislation], And In Fact Have Done Our Best To Debunk [Those] Claims.” FactCheck.org wrote: “We never have said that seniors would suffer ‘massive cuts to Medicare benefits’ under the pending House or Senate overhaul bills, and in fact have done our best to debunk claims to that effect.” [FactCheck.org, 11/3/09]

AARP Applauded The Senate For Bill: “Makes Progress Towards Achieving Meaningful Relief For Millions Of Older Americans…Makes Improvements To The Medicare Program.” AARP said in a press release: “We applaud the Senate for merging the Finance and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committees’ bills and taking another important step toward fixing what’s wrong with our health care system. Under the leadership of Majority Leader Reid and Senators Baucus, Harkin and Dodd, the legislation announced today makes progress toward achieving meaningful relief for millions of older Americans who still face challenges accessing affordable, quality health care services. The new Senate bill makes improvements to the Medicare program by creating a new annual wellness benefit, providing free preventive benefits, and—most notably for AARP members—reducing drug costs for seniors who fall into the dreaded Medicare doughnut hole, a costly gap in prescription drug coverage.” [AARP, 11/18/09]

AARP Warned Seniors Against “Myths and Scare Tactics” In Health Reform Debate, Said “None Of The Health Care Reform Proposals Being Considered By Congress Would Cut Medicare Benefits.” AARP wrote in a myth-vs.-fact health reform website that, “There are special interest groups trying to block progress on health care reform by using myths and scare tactics. Like the notion that health care reform would ration your care, hurt Medicare or be a government takeover. Actually, these are false statements.” AARP concluded about the Medicare claim that, “[n]one of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services.” [AARP, Myths Vs. Facts]

REALITY: SENATE BILL DOES NOT INCREASE PREMIUMS

From 1999-2009, Health Insurance Premiums For Families Rose 131%, General Inflation Was 28%. USA Today reported on a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation: “Since 1999, health insurance premiums for families rose 131%, the report found, far more than the general rate of inflation, which increased 28% over the same period. Overall, health care in the United States is expected to cost $2.6 trillion this year, or 17% of the nation's economy, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.” [USA Today, 9/15/09]

Chamber Of Commerce On Baucus Proposal: A Bill “That Will Actually…Get Health-Care Costs Under Control.” The Wall Street Journal reported that, “[t]he U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents about three million businesses of all sizes, has run television ads opposing the Democratic-led health-care push. And the chamber, like many other big business groups in Washington, has many concerns about the Baucus bill, particularly the taxes it proposes to help pay for its $774 billion Congressional Budget Office price tag over 10 years. But the chamber applauded much of the Baucus bill as the first proposal ‘that will actually...get health-care costs under control.’” [Wall Street Journal, 9/25/09]

Conservative Tax Foundation Was Outraged: House Health Reform Proposal Would Net Middle-Class Families “An Average Benefit Of About $1,900.” The Tax Foundation decried the “income redistribution” facilitated by the House health reform legislation: “[t]he biggest beneficiaries of HR 3200's redistribution would not be low-income families, but middle-class families, especially those making between $65,704 and $112,721, who would see an average benefit of about $1,900. In fact, even in the 60 percent to 70 percent income group, earning up to $141,101, the average family would gain almost $1,000.” [Tax Foundation Press Release, 10/6/09]

MIT Health Economist: Based On CBO Model, Premiums Under SFC Proposal For A Family Could Be At Least $2,430 Lower, Up To $8,550 Lower Than Without Reform. The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reported on estimated impact on premiums of the Senate Finance Committee proposal, finding that under current law, premiums would stay at $10,770 under current law, while premiums under the new proposal could be as low as $2,220 and would rise to only $8,340. He further wrote that, “[t]he analysis comes from MIT health economist Jon Gruber. Gruber is, undoubtedly, pro-reform. He's advised the Senate Finance Committee and served as one of the architects of the Massachusetts plan. But he's also one of the most-respected health economists in the country. Gruber runs the numbers for an average family, a 25-year-old and a 60-year-old, looking at different income levels for each, and paying close attention to the role subsidies will play. In each case, he finds the people likely to save money under the Senate Finance Committee's plan. You can download his analysis, which is based on Congressional Budget Office data, here… Gruber certainly has a lot less incentive to twist the facts than the insurance industry does, and his numbers, at least, are free from any glaring deficiencies.” [Washington Post – Ezra Klein, 10/12/09]

FACT CHECK GRASSLEY: Grassley Confuses Up With Down

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator Grassley said:

“I'd like to show you a chart on federal spending, federal health spending. As this chart here illustrates, this bill bends the federal spending curve further upward by $160 billion over the next decade.”

Roll Call: Senate Bill “Slash[es] The Deficit By A Whopping $777 Billion Over The Next 20 Years. “At first blush, Reid scored a coup with his $849 billion bill, because Democrats said the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would slash the deficit by a whopping $777 billion over the next 20 years while providing insurance for an additional 31 million Americans. The price tag is also less than the $900 billion President Barack Obama had called for and the $1.2 trillion cost of the House-passed version… ‘He was applauded. His staff was applauded,’ said Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a deficit hawk who said Reid did ‘an exceptionally good job.’” [Roll Call, 11/18/09]

FACT CHECK KYL: Scare-tactics On Increasing Premiums

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator Kyl said,

“[i]s it the case that the Joint Committee on Taxation which reported to the Finance Committee and the Congressional Budget Office both said that not only would the increased taxes on the pharmaceutical industry, the medical device industry, and the insurance industry be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, but that overall under the legislation that was before us, that for the average family, as compared to what the prices are today, that insurance premiums would actually go up, and that this was one of the two major reasons, the other being mandated benefits?”

REALITY: REFORM WILL LOWER COSTS, AND PREVENT PREMIUMS FROM SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL

23 Of Nation’s Most Well-Respected Health Economists: “We Believe That It Is Important To Enact Health Reform…[It] Will Lower Health Care Costs And Help Reduce Deficits Over The Long Term.” In a letter to the President, 23 of the nation’s most well-respected health economists said: “As economists, we believe that it is important to enact health reform, and it is essential that health reform include these four features [deficit neutrality, excise tax on high-cost insurance plans, independent Medicare commission, delivery system reforms] that will lower health care costs and help reduce deficits over the long term.” [Letter from 23 economists, 11/17/09]

NYT: “The Bill Just Approved By The House…Would Implement Or Test Many Reforms That Should Help Slow The Rise In Medical Costs…The New England Journal Of Medicine Concluded, ‘Pretty Much Every Proposed Innovation Found In The Health Policy Literature These Days Is Encapsulated In These Measures.’” The New York Times Editorial board issues a point-by-point analysis of the health reform measures contained in House and Senate bills: “The good news is that the bill just approved by the House and a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee would implement or test many reforms that should help slow the rise in medical costs over the long term. As a report in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded, ‘Pretty much every proposed innovation found in the health policy literature these days is encapsulated in these measures.’… Republican critics say, correctly, that the health care bills would saddle the government with large new costs to cover the uninsured by expanding Medicaid and providing subsidies to help low- and middle-income people buy insurance. And they say, incorrectly, that the effort should not move ahead until a sure-fire way is found to rein in rising health care costs. Their arguments overlook the fact that the government is already paying many of these costs, through special payments to hospitals, each time a person without insurance, and with no means to pay, goes to an expensive emergency room for treatment. It also overlooks the fact that both bills are designed to keep deficits from increasing over the next decade or two.” [New York Times Editorial, 11/15/09]

AP On House Plan: “The Typical Family Would Be Spared Higher Taxes…And Their Low-Income Neighbors Could Come Out Ahead.” The Associated Press reported that from the newly unveiled House Democratic health reform bill, “[t]he typical family would be spared higher taxes from the House Democratic plan to overhaul health care, and their low-income neighbors could come out ahead.” [Associated Press, 11/2/09]

House Bill Provides Rebates If Premiums Far Exceed Cost Of Covering Medical Expenses, Insurers Would Have To Justify Premium Increases To State And Federal Government, Lifetime Limits On Coverage Are Eliminated. Reuters listed many of the major provisions contained in the newest version of the House health reform bill. It listed a few consumer protections, including: “Provides for consumer rebates if premiums far exceed the cost of covering their medical expenses…Sets up a state/federal process under which insurers would have to justify premium increases…Eliminates lifetime limits on coverage.” [Reuters, 10/30/09]

FACT CHECK HATCH: Health Care Will Not Be Rationed

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator Hatch said:

“Zero. The number of provisions prohibiting the rationing of health care, zero. Not one word prohibiting the rationing of health care.”

REALITY: REFORM WILL NOT MEAN RATIONING OF HEALTH CARE

Dr. Sanjay Gupta On Rationing: “It’s Not True…A Look At The Reform Bill In Congress There Is No Mention Of That. No Mention Of Rationing, No Mention Of The Government Making So-Called End-Of-Life Decisions For Seniors.” “GUPTA: Tell me why. MCCOY: I try not to worry. Well, I have read some things that says that as you get older you are liable to wait and wait and wait before you can have surgery. I've heard that they're going to look at the older people and you're going to wait longer than the younger people. GUPTA (voice-over): It's not true, though a lot of people think so. A look at the reform bill in Congress there is no mention of that. No mention of rationing, no mention of the government making so-called end-of-life decisions for seniors.” [CNN Anderson Cooper 360, 11PM, 8/14/09]

Scarborough Called Out Gov. Pawlenty: “With All Due Respect, This Does Not Give Us A System Like The United Kingdom,” And Incredulously Asked Pawlenty, “How Does This Bill Get Us To ‘Death Panels?” You Don’t Believe It Does, Do You?” Gov. Pawlenty made an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, where he was challenged about claims that health reform would lead to death panels and would “pull the plug on granny:” Gov. Pawlenty said, “there’s concerns that this thing is going to be so expensive they’re not going to be able to afford all that’s promise, and somebody’s going to have to make a decision to cut back, and people are concerned that if the federal government does that—have them rationing care, that’s a real problem. And so those are not irrational concerns.” Then the following exchange occurred: “MR. SCARBOROUGH: [b]ut but, there are no death panels here, though. Counseling is one thing. Having three people lining up and saying 'granny dies, grandpa lives,' that's quite another. You can't get there from here. GOV. PAWLENTY: Well what happens--Joe, what you call it or label it, but I think the facts are these: if you have a system like the United Kingdom where—MR. SCARBOROUGH: But we don't. We don't governor. With all due respect, this does not give us a system like the United Kingdom. I'm talking specifically about this bill. How does this bill get us to ‘death panels?’ You don't believe it does, do you?” [MSNBC Morning Joe, 9/11/09]

Politifact: The Claim That Health Care Reform Will Lead To Callous Decisions That Would Allow People To Die If They Face A Costly Treatment Is "False." "In the ad, a man weeps over someone lying in a hospital bed while the announcer says, '$22,750. In England, government health officials decided that's how much six months of life is worth. Under their socialized system if a medical treatment costs more, you're out of luck. That's wrong for America.' That footage is interspersed with shots of the Capitol building and the whole thing is set to some very ominous music. You can watch it here. The carefully worded ad doesn't directly say that the government is planning to put a price on our lives, but the implication is clear: The reform plan will lead to callous decisions that would allow people to die if they face a costly treatment. So that's what we're going to check — whether the reform plan would impose those kind of caps on treatment. ... So, back to the Club for Growth ad. Although our experts agree that it gets the NICE statistic correct about the British practice, the ad's main point about cost limits is incorrect. There is no such practice in the comparative effectiveness program, nor is it part of the current health reform proposals pending in Congress. The House and Senate bills under consideration would not require the government to decide how much a person's life is worth. As a result, we give the Club for Growth a False." [PolitiFact, 8/6/09]

FACT CHECK MCCAIN: Medicare

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator McCain said:

“I don't think Americans really understand the scam that's going on here of beginning to collect taxes, tax increases and Medicare cuts of approximately $1 trillion beginning 40 days from now. In other words, the 1st of January, according to this plan, Americans will begin experiencing cuts in Medicare and increases in taxes 40 days from now. Now, is there anybody would -- who would agree that that – that that's any kind of a – nothing but a scam on the American people?”
McCain said “the real costs of this [bill is] $2.5 trillion bill.”
McCain also claimed, “In 40 days from now, Happy New Year, America, [in] 40 Days it will cut $135 billion from hospitals, it will cut $120 billion from 11 million seniors on Medicare Advantage.”

REALITY: MEDICARE SAVINGS DO NOT CUT BENEFITS, THEY STRENGTHEN MEDICARE

REALITY: THE SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL WOULD SLASH THE DEFICIT BY OVER $750 BILLION IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS DESPITE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS CLAIM

Claim That Senate Bill Would Cost $2.5 Trillion Was Generated By Senate Budget Committee Republicans. Fox News reported that, “Republicans have countered the CBO estimate with a figure of their own: $2.5 trillion, an estimate that comes out of the Senate Budget Committee minority's analysis of Reid's plan.” [Fox News, 11/19/09]

REPUBLICANS ARE DEFENDING WASTEFUL SUBSIDIES TO HEALTH INSURERS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE THAT PROVIDE PERKS LIKE FREE GYM MEMBERSHIPS

Medicare Advantage Provides Extra Perks, Like Free Gym Memberships, That Are Subsidized By The Government And The High Costs Of The Plans Are Passed On To Seniors. "Seniors in this Sun Belt retirement haven and across the country revel in the free perks that private insurance companies bundle with legally mandated benefits to entice people 65 and older to forgo traditional Medicare and sign up for private Medicare Advantage policies. The trouble is, the extra benefits are not exactly free; they are subsidized by the government. And some of the plans pass their costs on to seniors, who pay higher co-pays and additional fees to get care. ... In a health-care debate defined by big numbers and confusing details, the prospect of losing benefits such as a free gym membership through the Silver Sneakers program is tangible, and it has spooked some seniors, who are the nation's most reliable voters and have been most skeptical about reform." [Washington Post, 10/15/09]

REPUBLICANS ARE CRITICIZING A PLAN TO FORCE INSURERS TO COMPETE...

Health Insurance Reform Would Reduce The Difference In Costs Between Medicare And Medicare Advantage Through A Competitive Bidding System. “Federal subsidies to private Medicare plans average about 14 percent higher than those involved in fee-for-service coverage. The health care bills pending in Congress would reduce or eliminate the difference in part by introducing a competitive bidding system to pay the plans. ‘Health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare for seniors, not diminish it,’ said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin. ‘Even under the competitive bidding proposal in the legislation, Medicare Advantage plans will still be paid more than traditional Medicare plans. Yes, they'll need to compete, and they'll need to be more efficient, but they'll still have more money to work with than traditional Medicare.’” [AP, 9/22/09]

FACT CHECK HATCH: Distorting the Debate

On the floor of the Senate during Saturday's debate, Senator Hatch claimed:

“[t]his bill will now massively expand the level of Medicaid coverage to 133% for everyone. Who's going to pay for that? Our colleagues say, well, the federal government will. Well, what are they going to pay for it with? We're running the federal government right into bankruptcy.”

Senator Hatch claimed that expanding Medicaid was meant to lead to a single-payer system, saying:

“[e]ver since I've been here there's been a push to have more and more people moved into Medicaid. Why is that? Because if they can push more and more people into Medicaid, then ultimately we'll have a single-payer system. In other words socialized medicine in this country where the government will control everything. And that's what's behinds lot of this bill.”

Finally, Senator Hatch repeated the thoroughly-debunked claims of the Lewin Group, saying:

“if you look at the Lewin group, they say if you go to a government plan, we'll have 1 million people in Medicaid. What's it going to be the 10 million or 119.1 million? I guarantee you that it's going to a lot closer to the 1 million than it will be to the 10 million…If you had to choose between the 10 million and 119 million as far as the way people figure things around here, you know it will be closer to the 119 million, then it will be 10 million.”

REALITY: REFORM WILL BE PAID FOR, AND WILL NOT INCREASE THE DEFICIT

REALITY: THE PUBLIC OPTION WON'T PUT PRIVATE INSURERS OUT OF BUSINESS

Politifact: “Obama Health Plan Does Not Call For Government-Run Health Care.” “Obama health plan does not call for government-run health care.” [Politifact, 3/5/09]

REALITY THE EXPERTS AGREE THAT REPUBLICANS AND THE LEWIN CANT GET THEIR FACTS STRAIGHT

Lewin Group: Unbridled Public Plan, Which Was Not Proposed By President Obama, Would Result In 119 Million Americans Leaving Private Insurers To Join Public Insurance Option, Cover 28 Million Uninsured. According to the Lewin Group estimates, instituting a public plan option that is open to all firms and all individuals without exception could lead to 119 million Americans un-enrolling from private coverage options, and 131.2 million Americans enrolling in the public plan. It would reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 28 million. The Lewin Group also noted that this estimate did not match the President’s proposed limitations to a public plan option: “The President’s campaign proposal would have limited enrollment to individuals, the self-employed and small employers. Large employers would not be permitted to cover their workers through the public plan. Under this scenario, about 42.9 million people would be enrolled in the public plan (figure 3). The number of people with private coverage would fall by about 32 million people.” [Lewin Group - Impacts Of Public Plan, 4/8/09]

Politifact Called Claim “False” That Democrats Propose “A Government-Controlled Health Care Plan That Will Deprive Roughly 120 Million Americans Of Their Current Health Care Coverage.” According to PolitiFact’s truth-o-meter, Rep. Mike Pence, in an email, wrote that Democrats propose “a government-controlled health care plan that will deprive roughly 120 million Americans of their current health care coverage.” PolitiFact wrote in response how misleading Rep. Pence was, saying, “we rated Pence’s statement that the government would ‘deprive’ 120 million of their ‘current health care coverage’ False.” [PolitiFact, 5/19/09]

FactCheck.org Called It “Misleading”: CPR Ad Claimed “119 Million Off Their Current Insurance Coverage.” FactCheck.org wrote, “[a] new ad from Conservatives for Patients' Rights says that a public health insurance plan now being proposed in Congress ‘could crush all your other choices, driving them out of existence, resulting in 119 million off their current insurance coverage.’ That's misleading.”[FactCheck.org, 6/11/09]

FactCheck.org On New CPR Ad: Better Than Their Last One, “But Still Misleading,” And “Falsely Cites The New York Times.” FactCheck.org did an in-depth analysis of the claims made by Conservatives for Patients Rights’ new ad, “Bulldozer,” and said, “[w]e wrote about one of CPR's ads in April. The new TV spot is a step up from the last effort, but still misleading …The ad also falsely cites the New York Times as the source of a statement that what's being proposed would leave no consumer choices and ‘government in control of your health care.’ The Times didn't say that at all. The newspaper was just quoting claims made by insurance companies and members of Congress.” [FACT CHECK, 6/11/09]

NPR: 120 Million Figure “Hardly Represent The Entirety Of The Report”; Lewin Group Study Writer: “Stops Short Of Saying That Opponents Of A Public Plan Were Misusing His Statistics.” John Sheils, senior vice president of the Lewin Group, was interviewed by NPR. NPR reported on the use of a 120 million people figure used by opponents of health care reform: “that number hardly represents the entirety of the report Sheils and colleague Randy Haught put out in April…Sheils stops short of saying that opponents of a public plan were misusing his statistics, because while ‘this is the extreme case, I don't think it has been stricken from everyone's agenda, as far as I can tell.’ But he did add that in general, the mood in Congress seems to be moving toward a more constrained sort of public insurance program; most likely one that would pay somewhat more than Medicare and limit enrollment.” [NPR, 6/10/09]

Now, the Senate

Christopher Hass — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:47 EST

From Mitch Stewart:

On Wednesday night, Senate leadership unveiled their final health reform package. It's a great bill that accomplishes President Obama's core goals for reform: provide more security for those who have insurance, guarantee affordable coverage options for those who don't, and rein in the cost of care for American businesses and families.

And it accomplishes all of this while reducing the deficit by as much as $777 billion over the next 20 years.

Now, we're in the final sprint toward reform, and the next challenge is already here.

Today, senators are listening carefully to see how constituents react to the bill and how we want them to proceed. So it's our job to make sure they hear quickly and unmistakably: Move forward!

On Saturday, the Senate faces a close vote on whether or not to begin debate, so it's critical to weigh in right away. Click here to call your senators now.

Just tell whomever answers the phone where you live and that you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- and want the Senate to begin discussing it right away.

After you've called, click here to tell us how it went:

http://my.barackobama.com/SenateVote

Many senators have worked tirelessly to get us this far, and they deserve our thanks. But it is crucial that every senator knows that we are counting on them to stand up to the insurance industry and support reform -- and that we will be right there standing with them.

We're getting so close, and your incredible work is a big part of why we've been successful so far. Let's keep it up and get this job done.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

And the Winner Is . . .

Christopher Hass — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:19:10 EST

From David Plouffe:

After nearly 1,000 submissions, 20 amazing finalists, and more than 3 million views, we have the winner of the Organizing for America Health Reform Video Challenge.

The winning video shows that our supporters' creativity and passion is more than a match for the slick ads and partisan spin doctors on the other side. In the next few days, we'll be using this video as the basis for a new television ad that will air across the country -- and you can help, by ensuring we have the resources to make the biggest impact.

Check out the winning video and then donate $25 or more to help make sure as many people as possible see the final ad on national television.

With Congress wrapping up its last round of negotiations and closely gauging the public's mood in these crucial final weeks, now is the exact time to get this grassroots message out far and wide.

Your passion has brought our country closer to health reform than we've ever been before -- and it's what will keep our momentum strong so that we finish the job before the end of the year.

So please watch the winning video, pass it on to everyone you know, and give what you can to spread the message on national television:

http://my.barackobama.com/WinningVideo

Thanks,

David Plouffe

LIVE: President Obama Holds Town Hall with China's Youth

Christopher Hass — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:49:09 EST

Watch the President live in Shanghai, China, now at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

The President's Weekly Address: Veterans Day and Fort Hood

Christopher Hass — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:54:57 EST

Small Businesss Owners for Health Reform

Christopher Hass — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:27:29 EST

Over the past decade, as health insurance premiums have continued to rise, American businesses have often paid the price. If you take a look around your community, you'll likely see small business owners struggling, overwhelmed by skyrocketing health care costs.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they're a key constituency with the ear of elected representatives. Their voices are absolutely critical to the campaign for health insurance reform. Brandye, a small business owner in Joliet, Illinois, shared her story with us:

My name is Brandye. I run a beauty salon in Joliet, Illinois, and it has been fairly successful. However, with the economy in its current state, I have not been able to provide health care for myself through my business. Small businesses are forced to make so many tough choices these days. For example; buying more supplies to keep your business afloat versus health care coverage for your employees – which one do you choose?

I've called numerous insurance companies for quotes and the premiums per month would be hundreds of dollars with some companies. I am healthy and do not even have any pre-existing conditions. Because of my own personal experience with our current health care system, my heart really goes out to the people who are sick. It is heartbreaking to know there are people who need to see a doctor, but won't go because they can't afford to pay the bill.

Just think about all the people that died of cancer who would still be alive today if it was found early enough.

My father was one of those people. My father was an international singer with many hit records. He was also a self-employed entertainer most of his life, and he did not have health insurance. He died of throat cancer in 2007.

Countless families have stories like mine. Hundreds of thousands of small business owners just like me love what they do for a living and love the people we serve in our communities. We are people who know we could take a job in a larger company to enjoy the lower cost of group benefits coverage, but what would that do to our communities without us there to serve them?

The corner grocery store, the shoe repair shop, the local bakery, the light hearted beauty salon or barber shop, and the coffee shop down the street, are just a few examples of people with businesses who love the communities they serve.

This is America. The time has come for us as a nation to step up to the plate and provide decent health care with lower premiums for all. No one asks to be sick, but when we are sick are country should do all it can to give every American an opportunity to get well.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rep. Debbie Halvorson, my Congresswoman in Joliet, for supporting this bill.

President Obama at Fort Hood: "Greatness Before Our Very Eyes"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:59:39 EST

Here's the full video of President Obama's moving speech at yesterday's memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas:

OFA Supporters Welcome Home Representatives

Christopher Hass — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:31:41 EST

After casting an historic vote for health reform on Saturday night, many members in the House of Representatives are now heading home for a district work period. OFA Volunteers in Minnesota gathered at the airport bright and early on Sunday morning to greet Congressmen Walz and Ellison as they returned home from Washington.

Shortly afterward, Congressman Ellison posted to his Twitter feed:

Thanks to Obama For America MN for welcoming Tim Walz and I at the airport this morning at 8:30 am. Crew from Obama for America MN understands that the people must keep the energy HIGH until Obama signs the bill into LAW! And beyond.

In Maine, supporters were on hand to greet Representative Chellie Pingree. The Press Herald reported:

About three dozen supporters greeted Pingree as she arrived at the Portland International Jetport from Washington on Sunday morning. They carried flowers, balloons, homemade cookies and signs praising her for her vote.

"I just wanted to thank Chellie Pingree for stepping up and doing the right thing," said Maurie Hill, a 63-year-old retired nurse from Standish.

Pingree said that although the House bill is not perfect, its passage helps move the ball forward. Her advice to her Senate colleagues?

"Get voting!" she said. "It's not easy. We've been working on this for 10 months."

Representative Pingree also took to Twitter to thank supporters, posting:

Thanks so much for all the wonderful people who welcomed me at airport this morning -- made me teary! The cookies were great!!

If your representative voted for health reform last Saturday, you can use our online tools to call and thank them for their vote.

Before health reform can become law, it must pass one more time through the House of Representatives, so it's crucial to publicly show that voters support reform. Taking 30 seconds to say "thank you" could mean all the difference in the coming weeks.

"Making history"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:48:52 EST

Shortly after releasing his official statement on tonight's historic vote, President Obama sent out the following email to supporters:

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn't just witness history tonight -- you helped make it. Each "yes" vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.

So this is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.

The final Senate bill hasn't even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people's voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.

Can you donate $25 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight?

Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

Even after last year's election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn't like. Now, they're desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing -- and the people will not be ignored.

In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

Please donate to OFA's campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year.
Let's keep making history,

President Barack Obama

Statement of President Barack Obama on House Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act

Christopher Hass — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:19:14 EST

Shortly after the House of Representatives concluded tonight's vote on health insurance reform, President Obama released the following statement:

Tonight, in an historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality affordable options for those who don’t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and the government while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit.

Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year.

As Voting Begins, Over 500,000 Calls

Christopher Hass — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:07:33 EST

As the House begins a series of votes on the health insurance reform bill, we've just broken the 500,000 mark for OFA supporter calls to Congress in support of reform since October 20th.

"Rise to this moment"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:29:01 EST

Shortly after meeting with House Democrats on Capitol Hill in advance of the health reform vote, President Obama delivered the following remarks from the ground of the White House:

Good afternoon, everybody. I just want to say a few words about the landmark vote that the House of Representatives is poised to take today -- a vote that can bring us one step closer to making real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

For the better part of a year now, members of the House and the Senate have been working diligently and constructively to craft legislation that will benefit millions of American families and millions of American businesses who urgently need it. For the first time ever, they've passed bills through every single committee responsible for reform. They've brought us closer than we have ever been to passing health insurance reform on behalf of the American people.

Now is the time to finish the job. The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don't; and lower costs for American families and American businesses. And as I've insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit.

This bill is change that the American people urgently need. Don't just take my word for it. Consider the national groups who've come out in support of this bill on behalf of their members: The Consumers Union supports it because it will create -- and I quote -- "a more secure, affordable health care system for the American people."

The American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association support it on behalf of doctors and nurses and medical professionals who know firsthand what's broken in our current system, and who see what happens when their patients can't get the care they need because of insurance industry bureaucracies.

The National Farmers Union supports this bill because it will control costs for farmers and ranchers, and address the unique challenges rural Americans face when it comes to receiving quality care.

And the AARP supports it because it will achieve the goal for which the AARP has been fighting for decades -- reducing the cost of health care, expanding coverage for America's seniors, and strengthening Medicare for the long haul.

Now, no bill can ever contain everything that everybody wants, or please every constituency and every district. That's an impossible task. But what is possible, what's in our grasp right now is the chance to prevent a future where every day 14,000 Americans continue to lose their health insurance, and every year 18,000 Americans die because they don't have it; a future where crushing costs keep small businesses from succeeding and big businesses from competing in the global economy; a future where countless dreams are deferred or scaled back because of a broken system we could have fixed when we had the chance.

What we can do right now is choose a better future and pass a bill that brings us to the very cusp of building what so many generations of Americans have sought to build -- a better health care system for this country.

Millions of Americans are watching right now. Their families and their businesses are counting on us. After all, this is why they sent us here, to finally confront the challenges that Washington had been putting off for decades -- to make their lives better, to leave this country stronger than we found it.

I just came from the Hill where I talked to the members of Congress there, and I reminded them that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country. This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us -- even when it's hard; especially when it's hard. This is our moment to deliver.

I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment. Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America.

There are only a few hours left to contact your representative before the vote and add your voice to the President's call.

On the Hill

Christopher Hass — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:12:34 EST

An update from President Obama:

There are only a few hours left to contact your representative before the historic House vote on health reform.

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:08:58 EST

Last Chance to Vote in the Health Reform Video Challenge

Christopher Hass — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:31:34 EST

The deadline to vote on your favorite videos in the OFA Health Reform Video Challenge is tonight at midnight. The winning video will air as part of a national television ad buy as we enter the final stages of the health reform fight:

House Vote Scheduled for Saturday

Christopher Hass — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:27:03 EST

From Mitch Stewart:

This is it -- the House of Representatives will vote on health insurance reform tomorrow. All signs point to it being incredibly close, possibly even coming down to a single vote.

With the clock ticking, insurance company lobbyists are going all out to stop reform. Please call your represenative now.

President Obama is visiting the House tomorrow to call for reform, and I hope you'll add your voice to his right away. If you haven't called before, now is the time. And if you have recently called, thank you -- now please ask friends, family members, and co-workers in your district to join you.

http://my.barackobama.com/HouseVote

Everything we're fighting for comes down to moments like this -- and every second counts.

Thanks for stepping up,

Mitch

Video from the President: "A remarkable anniversary"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:14:26 EST

A special message from Obama for America Campaign Manager David Plouffe:

One year ago today, you made history.

We all knew that electing Barack Obama President was only the opportunity to bring about change; that we would all have to keep working to fulfill the promise our victory offered.

And you've come through -- by making hundreds of thousands of calls to Congress to push health reform forward, by pouring your effort into seemingly insurmountable challenges time and again, and, since January, by building on the power of our campaign to create Organizing for America.

And now, with the finish line on health reform in sight, we need your voice more than ever before.

To mark this special day, President Obama just recorded a video for supporters like you -- please watch his message, and sign up to join OFA in your community today.
Thank you so much for fighting so hard and giving so much to make the promise of a stronger, more just and prosperous America in the years ahead a reality:

http://my.barackobama.com/Year

My best,

David Plouffe

One Year Ago

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:12:25 EST

Election Results Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:31:14 EST

Special thanks to everyone who helped make calls, knocked on doors, and got out and voted today...

GOTV Calls: Only a Few Hours Left

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:13:30 EST

UPDATED (8:00 p.m.) Polls are now closed in Virginia and in New Jersey, but voting is still underway in New York and other places across the country.

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

UPDATED (7:00 p.m.) Polls in Virginia are now closed, but voting is still underway in New Jersey and New York, as well as other races across the country.

Polls in Virginia close at 7:00 p.m. Eastern; polls in New Jersey close at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and polls in New York close at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

We've only got a few hours left to make as much of an impact as possible. No matter where you are, you can help out in the final stretch by making GOTV calls from home:

Click here to call voters in Virginia. (polls are now closed)

Click here to call voters in New Jersey. (polls are now closed)

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

Urgent: House Vote Soon

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:10:16 EST

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

The House's first full vote on health reform legislation may come as early as this week. It'll be the first time in more than 60 years that the full body votes on comprehensive reform, and we expect it to be very close.

But with just a few days before the vote, the insurance industry and their allies are putting extraordinary pressure on every representative to defeat it. We know that their expensive lobbyists will be dashing to each congressional office, attempting to twist arms. The only question is whether the phones will be ringing off the hook with constituents supporting reform while that happens.

Can you call your representative right now and tell them to vote in favor of real health insurance reform?
The House bill incorporates the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to guarantee security and stability for those with insurance, provide affordable options for those without -- including the choice of a public insurance option -- and reduce costs for families and small businesses, all while decreasing the deficit.

Many representatives are standing with the President and fighting hard for reform. They need to know that they have our thanks and our support.

And we need to remind the rest of Congress that Americans need them to rise above partisan divides and stand up to the special interests. Please call:

http://my.barackobama.com/HouseVote

It's down to the wire. Your hard work helped bring us to this historic moment. Now let's bring it home.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

GOTV Calls: "Felt like old times"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:42:24 EST

As voters in a number of states head to the polls today, many long-time supporters are back on the phones, making calls to help get out the vote. In New Jersey, Jersey Girl reports:

Turn out is slow like any other non Presidential election no surprises there. This afternoon I volunteered to take people to the polls for now to the phones. Let's go NJ, NY and VA GOTV.

From Cookemon, in Illinois:

I'm making calls to Virginia, reminding folks to vote and let them know how important their vote is... I'll be calling off and on today.

And from Sharon, in Maryland:

Just finished 50 calls to New Jersey. Felt like old times. Time to stretch my legs and go back for more.

No matter where you are, you can help out in the final stretch by making GOTV calls from home using our online tools:

Click here to call voters in New Jersey.

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

Click here to call voters in Virginia.

Election Day

Christopher Hass — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:37:27 EST

In many places across the country, today is election day. There are governor races in Virgina and New Jersey, Congressional races in New York's 23rd District and California's 10th District, as well as countless other important local races.

Voters in New Jersey can find their polling location here.

Voters in New York's 23rd District can find their polling location here.

Voters in Virginia can find their polling location here.

No matter where you are, you can help get out the vote in these key states by making phone calls from home using our online tools. Turnout is key in off-year races, and just a few minutes on the phone can make a huge difference in a tight race.

Click here to call voters in New Jersey.

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

Click here to call voters in Virginia.

One year ago, we saw firsthand the impact that these phone calls and conversations can have. It's election day, and you know what to do.

Premiering Tuesday: "By the People"

Christopher Hass — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:40:00 EST

Call Time

Christopher Hass — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:36:49 EST

For voters in many parts of the country, tomorrow is election day. This weekend brought huge news out of New York's 23rd congressional district -- Republican Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign, leaving a two-way race between Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

And yesterday, Scozzafava endorsed Bill Owens -- President Obama's choice -- calling Owens the one candidate left who "understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first."

In a special election like this, turnout is everything -- tomorrow's outcome could be decided by just a handful of votes. We need your help to call Bill Owens supporters and make sure they get out to vote tomorrow.

Call Bill Owens supporters in NY-23 and remind them to vote tomorrow.

Thousands of OFA supporters have made calls using our online "Neighbor to Neighbor" tool in the past year. Just log in (or create an account) and follow the instructions.

In no time, you'll be on the phone with an Owens supporter who is grateful for the reminder to vote -- and you'll have a tremendous impact on a key special election from the comfort of your own home.

A week ago, President Obama wrote folks in New York to announce his support for Bill Owens:

As I work to change the tone of our nation's politics and end the petty partisanship that has dominated Washington for too long, I'll need the help of leaders like Bill.

But my support will only take Bill so far. As we learned last year, true change doesn't come from folks in Washington, but from the dedication and energy of people like you.

We proved last year that thousands of volunteers knocking on doors and making phone calls can accomplish anything. And today, we need your help again.

Call Owens supporters and remind them to vote tomorrow.

Remember?

Christopher Hass — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:39:03 EST

November 4th, 2008, and the final days leading up to it, is a time I will never forget.

After 19 months of working to help elect Barack Obama, what I remember most from that final stretch are the stories that came in from the field, from volunteers like you.

Working on the campaign headquarters blog, I saw countless inspirational stories -- from volunteers on their final weekend GOTV canvasses, folks who had driven from their home to faraway battleground states, and those who watched election returns in North Carolina, Indiana, and Virginia, and saw their states turn blue for the first time in a generation. I heard stories that poured in from across the country, each with a unique perspective on how things were going.

One year later, after Obama for America launched Organizing for America, we're still working as hard as ever on the campaign for health insurance reform, but we wanted to take this anniversary to stop and reflect on what all of us accomplished together.

Can you share a brief story about your best memory of the final days of the campaign?

We'll be featuring some of the stories on the headquarters blog to help folks reminisce and remember why we all continue to fight for change.

I know that the larger story of that day one year ago is made up of countless smaller stories. Please send in yours today.

One Year Ago

Christopher Hass — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:41:27 EST

From OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird:

One year ago today, we were in the homestretch of the Obama for America campaign. I had been organizing on the ground in Ohio for months, with hundreds of incredible -- and exhausted -- staff, and thousands and thousands of amazing volunteers.

We were hopeful, but we didn't take anything for granted. As we watched the victorious results of your hard work come in -- state-by-state, county-by-county, precinct-by-precinct -- we were completely elated. I'm sure you felt the same way.

But that work wasn't finished, and it still isn't. That night, President-Elect Obama told us that the election victory was only the beginning of the change we all sought -- and today, through Organizing for America, we're fighting just as hard to make health insurance reform a reality, this year. But while we seek to live up to the President's words, we're planning to gather together to reconnect, celebrate, and remember that moment, last year, when we won a historic victory.

So this week, we're holding reunion events across the country for folks who were involved in the campaign. Can you go to one near you?

Our current fight for real health insurance reform is just as important as last year's campaign. But we did a special thing together, and sometimes it's important to stop and reflect on that. I hope you can join us:

http://my.barackobama.com/ReunionAttend

My best,

Jeremy

Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America

Weekly Address: Milestones on the Economy and the Recovery Act

Christopher Hass — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:08:55 EDT

Health Reform Video Challenge: Open for Voting

Christopher Hass — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:03:37 EDT

New Media Director Natalie Foster just sent out the following email, announcing the top 20 finalists -- as well as the opening of public voting -- for the Health Reform Video Challenge:

We just finished going through the submissions to OFA's Health Reform Video Challenge, and they're great. There are personal stories that grab your heart, brilliant summaries of what reform would really mean, and plenty of biting satire that calls out the insurance lobbyists.

Out of nearly a thousand excellent videos submitted, we're down to the top 20. Now it's your turn to watch the finalists and vote for your favorites -- and then we'll air the winner on national television.

Watch and vote on the finalists now.
The top 20 ads will also be voted on by our panel of experts and artists, including Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, animator and director Seth MacFarlane, actress Kate Walsh, Obama for America campaign manager David Plouffe, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine.

It couldn't be more urgent for us to get these funny, powerful, and eye-opening messages out to the public. As the full Congress begins its final debate on reform, airing the winning video as an ad on national television could help tip the balance toward enacting the changes they've been talking about for years in Washington.

Polls close at midnight on Friday, November 6th, so don't waste a minute: Watch the finalists and vote for your favorites right away.
Thanks, and go get started,

Natalie

Natalie Foster
New Media Director

P.S. -- Help spread the word: After you vote, make sure you send this on to friends and family so they can check out the finalists.

http://my.barackobama.com/VideoChallenge

Senator Reid Announces ‘Opt-Out’ Public Plan

Christopher Hass — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:13:47 EDT

Earlier today, Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid announced his intention to include a government-run insurance plan with an “opt out” provision in the Senate version of health care legislation. The New York Times reported:

“I’ve concluded, with the support of the White House, Senators Dodd and Baucus, that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with the opt-out provision for states,” Mr. Reid said at a news conference.

“Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out if they so choose. I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system.”

Shorty after Senator Reid's announcment, the White House released the following statement in support of the work that Congressional leaders have done so far:

“The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem. And while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition.”

Message from Mitch Stewart: "That was fast"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:52:20 EDT

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

On Thursday, Vice President Biden called out the insurance industry's escalating war on health reform in a special message to OFA, and asked for your help in fighting back.

Sure enough, the insurance industry is already stepping up the attack: Reports just leaked from a closed-door meeting where insurance industry lobbyists frantically warned Republican members of Congress that it was not in their interest to "ever vote for this thing" and said supporting reform is like "giving comfort to the enemy." USA Today is reporting that groups opposing reform are lobbying at "a record pace" -- and the Associated Press notes that they've already spent an astounding $32 million on TV ads this year.

This is what we're up against. President Obama, Vice President Biden, and all of us together through OFA are fighting back -- but success depends on having the resources to win.

Can you chip in $25 or more today to power our campaign?

In this fight, the insurance industry has their war chest and insider lobbyists. We have you. I know who I'm betting on.

Let's win this thing.

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

The President's Weekly Address: "Working with Small Business to Drive Recovery"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:42:11 EDT

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:31 EDT

The fight

Christopher Hass — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Earlier today, Vice President Joe Biden sent out the following email:

We've got a fight on our hands. Powerful insurance companies are pulling out all the stops to defeat the President's plan for health reform. They're spending seven million bucks a week on lobbyists, blanketing the country with deceptive TV ads, and just funded two high-profile "reports" to distort what reform would mean for you.

I know their game. I was in the Senate the last time health reform came around, and I saw the special interests savage our efforts. Frankly, under the old rules of Washington they were nearly impossible to beat. But now, thanks to you, the rules are changing. All the lies, scare tactics and lobbyist shake-downs in the world are no match for the incredible work of Organizing for America supporters like you. That's exactly what frightens them so much -- and it's what Barack and I are counting on.

After decades of false starts, we're now just a short time from finally passing real reform. Every member of Congress will soon have to cast their vote. As real change draws near, you can bet the insurance companies will hold nothing back. That means OFA will need the extra resources to beat back whatever attack they can dream up next. Here's the bottom line: it's not time to let up -- it's time to double down.

Can you donate $25 or more to power OFA's fight for change as we head into the final round?

When I talk about you changing the rules in Washington, here's what I mean: This week, crucial negotiations on Capitol Hill are shaping a comprehensive reform proposal. At the same time, the insurance companies' phony reports are grabbing headlines and their lobbyists are twisting arms. But your work is keeping them from setting us back.

On Tuesday, OFA supporters around the country organized more than 1,000 local outreach events and generated an astounding 330,000 calls to Congress from constituents telling their representatives that "it's time to deliver." From my years in Congress and my conversations with Senate colleagues this week, I can tell you with confidence that your message broke through and you helped keep us on track.

If this fight were only about guaranteeing the choice of secure, quality, affordable care for every American, it would be worth everything we could throw at it. But as Barack reminded us this week, this fight for change is now about something even bigger: a test of whether or not "we as a nation are capable of tackling our toughest challenges, if we can serve the national interest despite the unrelenting efforts of the special interests; if we can still do big things in America."

I believe we can. And Barack believes we can. But what really matters is whether you believe we can. If you do, now is the moment to make it happen. Please contribute today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/FinalRound

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

"Off the hook"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:43:23 EDT

A message from Mitch Stewart, sent out very late last night:

It's late; I know you've gotten a lot of messages from us recently, and everyone here at OFA headquarters is pretty tired. But the last reports of calls and commitments are just coming in from events on the West Coast, and I wanted to share the news with you.

As you know, we set a big goal: 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day by OFA supporters and allied organizations. By 2:30 p.m., you had crushed it. So, we gulped and said let's go for 200,000, not knowing what would happen. But the calls just kept pouring in -- keeping phones ringing off the hook in congressional offices in D.C. and your representatives' district offices around the country.

Then, OFA supporters gathered in over 1,000 living rooms and community centers from Macon, Georgia to Missoula, Montana. You called hundreds of thousands of key voters in your community and got them to agree to call Congress and speak out for reform, too. President Obama joined in at a call party in New York -- and he had some amazing words of support for the folks like you who make this movement possible.

I'm looking at the numbers, and with almost all of the reports now in, the tally wasn't 200,000 calls placed or pledged -- it was 315,023. You did it.

Take a moment to watch the President's inspiring words to OFA volunteers on this incredible day.
Your voice was overwhelming -- with reports in the media of congressional offices "completely crushed with calls." CBS News described your effort as an "onslaught." And a congressional aide was quoted with a common response, saying their office was deluged by "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA."

You set a new OFA record, you caught the national media's attention, and you certainly put Congress on notice. But you know that's not what really matters.

The message I sent earlier talked about a woman, Jenny U., whose insurance company cut off her coverage because they decided her kidney donation to her sick daughter counted as a "pre-existing condition." What really matters is that today you brought America one giant, irreversible step closer to being a place where no one will ever have to suffer that kind of injustice again. That's what all the messages, late nights, and phone calls ultimately add up to. It's what makes everything we do together worthwhile -- and it's why we'll keep fighting together until the job is done.

Watch President Obama's special message to you from a call party in New York:

http://my.barackobama.com/TTDreport

Thank you, so much, for being part of the team.

Sincerely,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. -- Here are just a few stories from "Time to Deliver" events across the country:

This evening I and three other volunteers got together and made calls. As I was calling, one of the women I spoke with told me that she was inspired by my story -- shared in the email earlier that day -- to get her entire family to call Congress. She didn't know it was me on the phone, but she said she just couldn't stop saying "this isn't right" when she heard my story. It gave me so much hope -- during the evening we made 213 calls and got 64 commitments to call tomorrow.

-Jenny U., Missouri Volunteer

Seeing the tally go up, hearing voter after voter agree to call, and listening to the real excitement people have about finally fixing this broken system, I was reminded why we do this. Each of us can only give so much -- but when we all do it together, we move mountains. Health insurance reform, here we come.

-Sean Knox, California New Media Director

I want to recognize the folks in this room -- and folks watching online -- who are helping us to do exactly that. And I want to thank all the Organizing for America volunteers for making calls, knocking on doors, and keeping up the fight. You know why this is so important. ... We are nearing the finish line -- and with your help, we're going to cross it.

-President Barack Obama

Open Thread: 234,752 and Counting . . .

Christopher Hass — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:16:57 EDT

Watch Live: President Obama at a "Time to Deliver" Call Party

Christopher Hass — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:56:26 EDT

President Obama is scheduled to speak live at a New York call party starting at 8:05 p.m. Click here to watch a live webcast of the event.

Reports: "Phones have been ringing off the hook"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:49:53 EDT

The Huffington Post reports:

It's not even noon on the West Coast and already Capitol Hill staffers say they're getting nonstop calls from constituents in support of President Barack Obama's health insurance reform. At about 2:15 EST, Organizing for America (OFA) surpassed it's goal of 100,000 phone calls to Congress, each one imploring representatives to vote for reform.

The nationwide "Time to Deliver on Health Reform" event is the most massive outpouring of support from Obama supporters since Election Day 2008.

Senate Democratic aides told HuffPost that their phones have been ringing off the hook. "We're getting completely crushed with calls, jamming our phone lines from the moment we opened," said one aide.

Another said they'd gotten "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA."

100,000

Christopher Hass — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:35:45 EDT

Amazing.

50,000

Christopher Hass — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:04:47 EDT

You can follow the progress at Twitter.com/BarackObama.

Tuesday: Time to Deliver

Christopher Hass — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:15:08 EDT

From OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird:

With health insurance reform finally ready for consideration before the full Congress, we've set a big goal for this Tuesday: 100,000 calls to Congress made or committed to in a single day. We'll make our voices heard above the din created by the insurance industry's campaign of misinformation and fear and make sure our representatives know it's finally time to deliver on health reform.

But here's the thing -- if we're going to get there, we need your help to reach out to friendly folks who still need to speak up in support of reform.

We're holding "Time to Deliver" call parties and neighborhood outreach events across the country. We'll get together in living rooms and community centers, and reach out to supportive voters whose voices are particularly critical in this debate. We'll talk to them about the President's plan, and then we'll ask them to call on their representatives to support reform and thank those already doing so.

And the President will be joining all of the events that evening via an exclusive webcast -- please find an event near you and RSVP today.

You don't need to have any experience to attend a Time to Deliver event. The host will have everything set up for you, so it will just be a great evening of reaching out to voters with your friends and neighbors and making a tremendous difference.

We've set a big goal, but if we hit it, two things will happen: we'll have set a new record for contacting Congress in a single day, and the phones in our representatives' offices will be ringing off the hook the whole day, meaning our voices cannot be ignored.

With more than 1,000 events happening on Tuesday, we've got everything set to reach our goal -- but we need you to make it happen.

Please RSVP for an event by you:

http://my.barackobama.com/AttendTTD

See you out there,

Jeremy

Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America

Health Reform Video Challenge Deadline: Midnight Tonight

Christopher Hass — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:39:15 EDT

The deadline for entries into the OFA Health Reform Video Challenge is midnight tonight.

Making a 30-second ad is a unique opportunity to add your voice and your creativity to the health reform debate. The top 20 videos will be seen by millions of OFA supporters nationwide, and the winning entry will be aired on national television.

Supporters across the country will have the opportunity to view and weigh in on their favorites, alongside a panel of judges that includes Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am; director and animator Seth MacFarlane; actors Kate Walsh, John Cho, Rosario Dawson, Olivia Wilde, and Dulé Hill; Democratic National Committee Chairman and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine; and David Plouffe, campaign manager for President Obama's campaign.

We're looking for videos that are serious or funny, animated or live action, simple or complex -- anything creative and powerful that makes the case in 30 seconds.

You can see the full details, and submit your entry, at BarackObama.com/VideoChallenge.

The President's Weekly Address: "Taking on the Insurance Companies"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:16:30 EDT

On the Air: "Every Day"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:35:44 EDT

Our doctors and nurses ad, called "Every Day," is up on the air now -- and it's making big news.

The ad, starring Dr. Jeremy Spinks of Virginia, and nurse Elizabeth Prah of Maryland, has already received coverage by the Washington Post, ABC News, Huffington Post, CBS News, and many other sources.

See it for yourself: :

Thanks again to everyone who chipped in to get it on the air!

It's time to deliver

Christopher Hass — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:56 EDT

An quick update from OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Last week, Jeremy asked you to host a "Time to Deliver" Call Party this Tuesday, October 20th, to help us set an OFA record of 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day.

Now, I wanted to share some exciting news: President Obama will be joining your party via an exclusive live webcast to encourage your guests and thank you for your role in passing health reform.

These call parties couldn't come at a more important time -- the final Senate committee just passed their version of the plan, so the debate is about to move to the full Congress for the first time. And the insurance industry lobby is throwing everything they've got at us to distort the issues and derail progress. Our voices must be heard.

Hosting a Time to Deliver Call Party on the 20th is an easy but extremely powerful way you can help pass health reform in 2009. So are you in?

http://my.barackobama.com/deliver

Thanks so much,

Mitch

Message from Mitch Stewart: "Historic news on health care"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:09:41 EDT

OFA Director Mitch Stewart just sent out the following email:

Despite increasingly desperate attacks from the insurance lobby, the Senate Finance Committee took the historic step of voting reform legislation out of committee with bipartisan support. They're the final committee to do so -- and the negotiations over the final bill will now move to the full House and Senate.

Soon, every senator and representative must decide where they stand. Lobbyists will be racing to each office, trying every trick in the book to derail the President's plan. In fact, just this week, the insurance lobby released a self-serving report falsely claiming that reform would increase costs. Journalists called it "deceptive" and said "something doesn't smell right here." A prominent M.I.T. economist described the study as "deeply flawed."

It's a blatant scare tactic designed to frighten voters and bully Congress -- and it's just the beginning. We need to speak out right away to show Congress that their constituents are watching closely, and we're counting on them to say "no" to the lobbyists and "yes" to reform.

Send a message urging Congress to stand with voters, not D.C. lobbyists, and pass real reform.

It's becoming clear that the insurance companies will do whatever it takes to stop progress: The New York Times is reporting that special interests are spending $1.4 million every day to kill reform -- and even commissioned their own slanted analysis of the Finance Committee's legislation in an effort to defeat it. But today, after widespread criticism, the company that produced the report issued a statement saying that it analyzed only part of the bill because that's exactly what the insurance industry paid them to do!

And we just got word that insurance companies are spending $1 million on a misleading ad to scare seniors out of supporting reform. The ad falsely declares that reform will cause cuts in Medicare, even though reform is crucial to ensuring the long-term survival of the program and preserving the care that millions of seniors depend on.

Now that all five congressional committees have passed reform legislation, we're sure to see attacks that are even more extreme. It's up to us to make sure that ordinary Americans continue to be heard louder than the Washington lobbyists.

Please send a message to Congress today:

http://my.barackobama.com/Fight_Back

The next few weeks are absolutely crucial to our success -- we'll be organizing events, running ads, and doing everything possible to make sure Congress passes real reform. But right now, the most important thing we can do is make our voices heard immediately. Please speak out now.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

"A Critical Milestone"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:53:18 EDT

Shortly after today's Senate Finance Committee vote, the President took a moment to mark the historic progress that Congress has now made towards passing health insurance reform:

Good afternoon. Today we reached a critical milestone in our effort to reform our health care system. After many months of thoughtful deliberation, the fifth and final committee responsible for health care reform has passed a proposal that has both Democratic and Republican support. This effort was made possible by the tireless efforts of Chairman Max Baucus and the other members of the Senate Finance Committee. It's a product of vigorous debate and difficult negotiations.

After the consideration of hundreds of amendments, it includes ideas from both Democrats and Republicans, which is why it enjoys the support of people from both parties. And I want to particularly thank Senator Olympia Snowe for both the political courage and the seriousness of purpose that she's demonstrated throughout this process.

Now, this bill is not perfect and we have a lot of difficult work ahead of us. There are still significant details and disagreements to be worked out over the next several weeks as the five separate bills from the Senate and the House are merged into one proposal. But I do believe the work of the Senate Finance Committee has brought us significantly closer to achieving the core objectives I laid out early in September.

Most importantly, this bill goes a long way towards offering security to those who have insurance, and affordable options for those who don't. It reins in some of the worst practices of the insurance industry, like the denial of coverage due to preexisting conditions. It also sets up an insurance exchange that will make coverage affordable for those who don't currently have it. And as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has certified, it will slow the growth of health care costs in the long term and it will not add a penny to our deficit.

The committee's progress over the past several weeks is the culmination of work by all five committees and numerous members of Congress over the better part of this year. We've reached out to stakeholders across the spectrum -- doctors and nurses, businesses and workers, hospitals and even drug companies. And we've considered a wide variety of ideas and proposals in an effort to find common ground.

As a result of these efforts, we are now closer than ever before to passing health reform. But we're not there yet. Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. Now is not the time to offer ourselves congratulations. Now is the time to dig in and work even harder to get this done. And in this final phase, I hope that we will continue to engage each other with the spirit of civility and seriousness that has brought us this far and that this subject deserves.

I commend the Chairman and the committee's members for their achievement and the example that they've set, and I look forward to continue to work with Congress in the weeks ahead. We are going to get this done.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Senate Finance Committee Bill Passes Out of Committee

Christopher Hass — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:07:26 EDT

From Democrats.org:

This afternoon—after months of deliberation and the consideration of hundreds of amendments—the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of health insurance reform legislation.
The bill passed 14 to 9, winning bipartisan support with a yea vote from Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. The Finance committee is the fifth and final committee with jurisdiction over health reform to pass a bill. Though we still have a ways to go (the Senate and House still need to vote and pass final versions of legislation, before the process can go to conference committee, and onto another vote in both houses), the Finance Committee’s action today represents an enormous and critical step forward.

Reality Check on AHIP's Health Insurance Report

Christopher Hass — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:28:54 EDT

Yesterday, on the eve of a key vote in the Senate Finance Committee, the insurance industry group America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released a report falsely suggesting that health care costs would increase with health reform. As Linda Douglass of the White House Health Reform Office explained:

"It is hard to take it seriously. The analysis completely ignores critical policies will lower costs for those who have insurance, expand coverage and provide affordable health insurance options to millions of Americans who are priced out of today's health insurance market or are locked out by unfair insurance company practices."

AHIP is a Washington, D.C., based association that has been fighting efforts to enact reform all year, and the study released yesterday relies on selective and subjective analysis throughout. The White House quickly responded with a detailed look at the report, debunking the key claims:

AHIP CLAIM: Health reform will cause health care premiums to rise faster than they would under the current system.

REALITY: The Congressional Budget Office and other analysts confirm that the current Senate Finance Committee (SFC) health reform proposal will lower health care premiums in the exchange and make health insurance more affordable for families.

AHIP CLAIM: Taxes on the highest cost health plans – so called "Cadillac" plans – will raise the cost of employer-based coverage. This is the single largest driver of AHIP’s assumed $4,000 premium increase in the large group market.

REALITY: The majority of health economists from all parts of the political spectrum have arrived at precisely the opposite conclusion — a tax on insurers that provide the highest cost health plans will contribute to lowering premiums. Even AHIP’s study acknowledges that insurers are like to lower premiums in response to this tax change.

AHIP CLAIM: The failure to enact an individual responsibility requirement will increase costs in the individual market by creating an incentive for people to wait until they are sick to purchase coverage. This is the single largest driver of AHIP’s assumed 49% premium increase in the individual market.

REALITY: AHIP incorrectly downplays the responsibility requirement in the SFC proposal, which, in the context of comprehensive reform, will increase coverage by providing an incentive for the uninsured to enter the system.

AHIP CLAIM: Reductions in Medicare spending will raise costs for families. Part of the premium increases that the AHIP analysis assumes stems from "provider payment cuts" in Medicare and Medicaid, leading to cost-shifting onto private plans.

REALITY: Health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare. Once again, the assumptions in the AHIP analysis are not consistent with the facts of the bill that they are analyzing.

You can read the full Reality Check on the AHIP report at WhiteHouse.gov.

Video: President Obama Speaks at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner

Christopher Hass — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:25:13 EDT

The President's Weekly Address: "New Momentum for Health Reform"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:25:11 EDT

Host a "Time to Deliver" Call Party

Christopher Hass — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:03:40 EDT

From OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird:

After months of negotiations, the entire House and Senate will soon start debating the final plans for health insurance reform. You've called your representatives, but we can't stop there -- if the American people are going to drown out the D.C. lobbyists, we need everyone who supports reform to weigh in. So here's the plan:

On Tuesday, October 20th, OFA volunteers will gather at "Time to Deliver" Call Parties in living rooms like yours across the country. We'll call friendly voters whose voices matter in this debate, talk to them about the President's plan, and ask them to call on their representatives to support reform.

Our goal? 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day. It's an ambitious goal, but the stakes couldn't be higher -- and if we hit it, we cannot be ignored.

The whole plan begins by finding a place for OFA volunteers to gather -- in Chicago and across the country. And that's why I'm turning to you.

Can you host a Time to Deliver Call Party on Tuesday, October 20th?
Hosting a call party is surprisingly easy. No special experience required, and we'll provide simple step-by-step instructions. If you can print out some call sheets and info about the President's plan -- and make sure volunteers have a comfortable place to sit -- you can host a successful Call Party.

You can invite your friends, we'll invite other OFA supporters in your area, and together you'll have a great time while making a huge difference.

If we can get 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to on a single day it will set a new OFA record -- and really shake up the debate in Washington. But it won't be easy. Everything hinges on finding volunteer leaders like you who are willing to open your doors and give supporters in your area a place to gather.

Can we count on you? Please sign up to host a Time to Deliver Call Party on October 20th.
Thanks for making it happen,

Jeremy

Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America

"A Call to Action": President Obama On Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

Christopher Hass — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:19:05 EDT

In reacting to the news this morning that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the President struck a note of humility and recognized that the award was a nod to a vision of what is to come:

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.

Breaking: President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Christopher Hass — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:26:20 EDT

Early this morning, it was announced that President Obama had been selected as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. From the New York Times:

In a stunning surprise, the Nobel Committee announced in Oslo that it has awarded the annual prize to the president “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The award cited in particular Mr. Obama’s effort to reduce the world’s nuclear arsenal.

“He has created a new international climate,” the committee said.

The announcement, coming extraordinarily early in Mr. Obama’s presidency — less than nine months after he took office as the first African American president — shocked people from Norway to Washington.

The White House had no idea it was coming.

...a senior administration official said in an e-mail message that Mr. Gibbs called the White House shortly before 6 a.m. and woke the president with the news.

“The president was humbled to be selected by the committee,” the official said, without adding anything further.

Mr. Obama made repairing the fractured relations between the United States and the rest of the world a major theme of his campaign for the presidency and since taking office as president, he has pursued a range of policies intended to fulfill that goal. He has vowed to pursue a world without nuclear arms, as he did in a speech in Prague earlier this year, reached out to the Muslim world, delivering a major speech in Cairo in June, and sought to restart peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the committee said in its citation. “His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”

President Obama is only the third sitting U.S. president to win the award.

UPDATED: The President will deliver a statement from the White House at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Video: "Nobody has more credibility on this issue"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:25:05 EDT

Here's the full video of the President's remarks from earlier in the week, in front of a gathering of doctors at the White House in support of health reform:

Message from David Plouffe: "Your video for reform"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:35:55 EDT

Earlier today, David Plouffe announced the official panel judges who, along with the American public, will help determine the winner of the OFA Health Reform Video Challenge:

Last month, we launched Organizing for America's Health Reform Video Challenge -- a contest to make the best 30-second ad showing why the President's plan for reform is so critical.

Today, I'm excited to announce a great panel of OFA volunteers, campaign veterans and well-known artists who will join me to help select the winning ad. The panel will include will.i.am, whose viral "Yes We Can" video fired up our movement last year, as well as Virginia Governor and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, actress Kate Walsh, and animator Seth MacFarlane (check out the full panel below).

There are less than two weeks left to submit a video before the October 18th deadline. The top submissions will be seen by millions online, and we'll run the winning ad on national television. With Congress moving into the final phase of this health reform debate, we need your creativity and voice out there more than ever.

Click here for all the info, rules, and everything else you need to get started.
You don't need special experience to record a powerful message. But if you know someone who makes great videos and wants to make a huge difference on the national stage, please pass on this note right away.

Your video can be serious or funny, simple or sophisticated. Just make sure to focus on why we need to fix today's broken system, or how President Obama's plan will help make sure all Americans have the care they need.

So get started today:

http://my.barackobama.com/VideoChallenge

Thanks, as always, for lending your voice.

David Plouffe

P.S. -- Here's the full list of judges: will.i.am, front man and producer of the multi-platinum Black Eyed Peas; actress and Voto Latino founder Rosario Dawson; Kate Walsh from "Private Practice" and "Grey's Anatomy;" Olivia Wilde from "House;" Dulé Hill from "The West Wing" and "Psych;' "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane; John Cho from "Harold and Kumar" and "American Pie;" and Brandon Routh from "Superman Returns."

We'll also have Virginia Governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine; DNC Executive Director Jen O'Malley Dillon; Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy; myself; and some of Organizing for America's most active grassroots volunteers -- Courtney S. from Georgia, Michelle M. from Arizona, and Erin T., a student organizer in New Hampshire.

Video: House Call on Health Insurance Reform

Christopher Hass — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:52:31 EDT

Yesterday, the President hosted doctors from all 50 states here at the White House, coming together in a powerful testimonial to what reform is all about.

Today the White House released a new video featuring interviews with many of those doctors at the event. Their testimonies are a reminder that the people at the real frontlines of the health care battle are not lobbyists or politicians invested in protecting the status quo, but are instead the people who deal with the health and well-being of our families every day and see the need for change first hand:

Open Thread: Doctors for Health Insurance Reform

Christopher Hass — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:04:52 EDT

Message from Mitch Stewart: "A tremendous opportunity"

Christopher Hass — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:42:03 EDT

Earlier today, OFA Director Mitch Stewart sent out the following update to OFA supporters:

I wrote to you last week asking for your help to produce and air a powerful new ad about why doctors and nurses around the country are standing up for health insurance reform. The response was extraordinary -- thousands of OFA supporters chipped in over $600,000 in just a few days, blowing away our $300,000 goal.

So now we have a tremendous opportunity. We're putting the finishing touches on the ad, just in time for a week of crucial negotiations in Congress that could determine the final shape of health reform. If we reach $1 million by Wednesday, we can pull the trigger on an ambitious plan. We'll focus the energy of staff across the country on this key campaign, hold events with doctors and nurses, and air the ad coast-to-coast to elevate their trusted voices at this critical moment.

Will you donate $25 or more now to help make it happen?

Thanks,

Mitch
P.S. -- Last week, we brought doctors and nurses from across the country to the studio to film the ad. Check out behind-the-scenes pictures of the ad you're funding and chip in to help us put it on the air at this vital time.

President Obama Speaks to Doctors from Across the Country

Christopher Hass — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:29:28 EDT

The President will welcome doctors from across the country to an event in the Rose Garden this morning, where he will deliver remarks on the need for health insurance reform this year. You can watch a live stream of the event below, starting at 11:10 a.m. Eastern.

UPDATED: Today's event has concluded, but we'll have more coverage of the President's remarks later today.

A Doctor's Note

Christopher Hass — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:33:44 EDT

On Friday, Dr. Alice Chen sent out a special message to fellow OFA supporters:

My name is Alice Chen. I'm an OFA supporter, and a physician practicing internal medicine in Los Angeles.

I'm following the health reform debate pretty closely -- you probably are too. And as I see opponents of reform trying to water down or derail the President's plan, I know it's our urgent responsibility to speak out.

That's why millions of my fellow doctors and nurses, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, and groups like the one I work with called Doctors for America are all fighting so hard for reform right now: talking to our patients, holding grassroots events -- and a few are even filming an ad with OFA.

Health professionals are doing what we can, but this is something we need to do together. Your voice, your opinion, and your story can help influence the debate at this crucial moment. Can you take 5 minutes to write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of President Obama's Plan for health reform?
OFA has an online tool that makes it really easy. They'll provide background info on the President's plan that you can combine with your personal story about reform, and you can even submit your letter online to newspapers near you.

You don't have to be a doctor or an expert to write an effective letter -- you just have to have an opinion or a personal story to share. And these letters are short, usually just a paragraph or two, but they can have a huge impact because it shows your representatives and the media what local folks are thinking in the most public way possible.

I know that one of the most important things I can do for the health of my patients is to stand up for the reform all Americans need. That's why I and my fellow doctors are working so hard to spread the word, and that's why I'm asking you to join me by writing a letter today.

http://my.barackobama.com/write

Thank you,

Dr. Alice Chen

P.S. -- I want to share a story with you about why I'm so passionate about reform:
Two years ago, I took care of a businessman in Los Angeles. He had Crohn's disease, and his health and nutrition had been getting worse for over a year. He was seeing doctors at one of our private hospitals, but he lost his insurance, so he couldn't see his doctors anymore. Buying private insurance was impossible - no amount of money could have convinced an insurance company to cover him. He tried the county hospital ER, but the wait was 24 hours. He thought maybe he could manage.

A few months later, when he could barely walk from his bed to the door, he tried the ER again. By then, he had kwashiorkor (the kind of malnutrition that famine-stricken African children get) as a complication of his gut disorder. Every organ system was failing. I remember that even in the hospital, he tried to keep up his work via his Blackberry. We tried to help him, but he rapidly deteriorated and died just six days after admission.

I was devastated and talked to many colleagues about what I could have done differently to save my patient. He should have been living his life and being a productive member of society today, but he's dead. We could have saved him if he had been able to come for care sooner -- instead of being deterred by his lack of insurance. Ultimately, I recognize that he died because the system failed him. In our great country, that is unacceptable.
That's a big reason why I keep fighting for reform. I hope that this week, you can share your own view and your story in your letter to the editor.

The President's Weekly Address: "Reforming our health insurance system as a critical step in rebuilding our economy"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:30 EDT

"We don't fear the future -- we shape it"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:37:43 EDT

Yesterday, OFA online organizer Nicole Aro sent out the following to college students across the country:

I was lucky enough to be one of the thousands of people who heard President Obama speak about health reform recently at the University of Maryland. As he told the fired up crowd, "Change starts with people -- especially young people -- who are determined to take this nation's destiny into their own hands."

So if you can spare a few hours, here's a great way to help turn the bold change on health care we fought for during the campaign into a reality this year: Organize a "Health Reform Phone Booth."

It's simple: Just grab some friends and set up outside of the student center, on the main quad, near a cafeteria, or wherever you can find folks passing by with a few minutes to spare. You'll distribute fact sheets about the President's plan and ask people to call their members of Congress on the spot and voice their support.
We need to make sure our representatives hear from students and young people, who are hit particularly hard by today's broken health care system. Many of us are without insurance, and entering a tough job market where our employment and benefits could change at a moment's notice.

When you sign up to host a phone booth, we'll give you all the materials, phone numbers, and step-by-step instructions you need to make it a success -- and when you register your event online, other OFA volunteers can join you to lend a hand. You'll also get a special fact sheet about how reform will help students and young people.

Click here to run a Health Reform Phone Booth:

http://my.barackobama.com/CampusPhoneBooth

Passing health reform won't be easy. But as the President reminded us, so many young Americans worked tirelessly on last year's campaign because of our belief that America can still do great things. He said, "You believed that in this country, we don't fear the future; we shape the future... That's what America is about, and that's what we're called to affirm right now."
So let's get fired up and make this happen!

Nicole

Nicole Aro
Organizing for America

P.S. -- While we weren't anticipating anyone making an *actual* phone booth for their event, students in Nevada blew us away with their great creation:

Open Thread: The Recovery Act at Work

Christopher Hass — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:36:53 EDT

"The cavalry, in white coats and scrubs"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30:53 EDT

From Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart:

The cavalry is here -- and they're in white coats and scrubs: More than a half a million doctors and millions of nurses are joining forces to help pass real health reform.

Americans listen to their nurses and doctors when it comes to health reform -- and for good reason. If we can help them amplify their voices, it'll be a huge boost to our campaign for change.

So we're working on a new television ad featuring their voices explaining why doctors and nurses so strongly support President Obama's plan -- and asking Congress to pass it. We'll run the ad in key states and districts all around the country to show folks where health professionals stand, cut through the spin, and build even greater support for reform.

But to produce and air the new ad before the Senate starts debating a final bill, we'll need to raise $300,000 by Thursday. Can you donate $25 right away?
The American Medical Association, Doctors for America, and a dozen other physicians groups representing 500,000 doctors are endorsing reform. So are the American Nurses Association and other organizations representing millions of nurses.

They're speaking out because they see the shortcomings of our health care system firsthand, every day: patients denied the care they prescribe, families losing access to their doctors, and a system that forces them to spend more time with paperwork and less time with patients.

These voices need to be heard -- with so much deception out there clouding the debate, it's critical that medical professionals are able to focus the country on the simple fact that health reform is good medicine.

But the final congressional committee could vote on their reform bill as early as Wednesday -- and debate on final legislation could start by the end of the week. So if we're going to help make these doctors and nurses' voices heard, we'll need to do it right now. Can you chip in $25 or more to help get our ad on the air?

https://donate.barackobama.com/HealthAd

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

"We've got to keep this great group together"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:49:58 EDT

As September draws to a close, across the country volunteers are continuing their tireless, methodical work to push for health insurance reform. From phonebanks to canvasses, public rallies to meetings with members of Congress, they've continued to push for reform, while carrying on the tradition of campaign that was unlike anything the political world had seen before.

From the St. Petersburg Times in Florida:

Almost every day across Florida and the country, one can find volunteers marching into congressional offices, manning phone banks, knocking on doors and collecting signed pledges of support for Obama's health care reform goals. The group signed up more than 3,000 volunteers in August alone and has held more than 500 events across Florida since June 6, collecting nearly 100,000 forms from people showing support.
"We're getting our voices out there," Robin Rosenbaum, regional field director for Organizing for America, told about three dozen enthusiastic University of South Florida and University of Tampa students writing letters to Sen. Bill Nelson and to newspapers Thursday night. "The more folks we have writing letters, the more change we'll see."
... "I met so many cool, like-minded people. After the campaign ended, it was like, 'We've got to keep this great group together,'" said Safety Harbor artist Malanda Schmitz, whose group, United 4 Change, remains active and recently organized a 100-person health care rally on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. She works closely with Organizing for America.
"Every person that I talk to that understands health reform a little better," Schmitz said, "then they can talk to one other person and help them understand a little better and it will grow from there."

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:42:31 EDT

Announcing the "Health Reform Video Challenge"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:38:21 EDT

Yesterday, OFA/DNC New Media Director Natalie Foster announced the kick-off of the Health Reform Video Challenge:

In many ways, the fight for health insurance reform comes down to a battle over information. The more people know about how broken the system is and the President's plan to fix it, the more they want change. But there are an awful lot of lies to cut through, and a whole lot of truth to get out.

So today, we're proud to announce a powerful new way for you to help: Organizing for America's Health Reform Video Challenge.

This is your chance -- you ingenious, insightful, funny people out there -- to make a 30-second ad telling the story about why the status quo has got to go, or explaining how the Obama plan will ensure we get the secure, quality care we need without breaking the budget.

The top submissions will be voted on by the public and a panel of experts, with the winning ad aired on national television. This is your opportunity to add your voice and creativity to the debate, get some great exposure for your work, and make a huge difference.

Click here to get started.
No experience is needed -- if you have an idea, we want you to give it a shot. And if you know someone who is especially handy with a camera, please forward this note along right away. Just make sure you submit your ad by October 18th.

Your video could be as simple as you talking straight into the camera, as complex as a full-blown production with a script and special effects, or anything in between.

We're looking for serious videos: You can tell your personal story about how the broken health insurance system has affected you. You can illustrate the big picture about what's wrong now and how the President's plan will help with animations, charts, and facts.

We're looking for funny videos: You can parody those trying to scare us into inaction (between the lying pundits and the insurance company spin doctors, they've given us some good stuff to work with).

And we're looking for new ideas we never would have thought of but we know will blow us all away.

We know that compelling videos can touch people in a way that words alone simply cannot. The messages that regular people put together will make a bigger difference than any false smears or slick ads the other side can dream up. And who knows -- your creative, powerful, or touching video could help tip the balance in favor of health reform.

So go get started today!

http://my.barackobama.com/videochallenge

I can't wait to see what you come up with,

Natalie

Natalie Foster
New Media Director

The President's Weekly Address: Progress with the G-20 in Pittsburgh

Christopher Hass — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:15:01 EDT

Watch Live: President Obama Chairs the UN Security Council Meeting

Christopher Hass — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:54:48 EDT

UPDATED: Today's coverage of the UN Security Council Meeting has concluded.

Listen Live: Vice President Biden Hosts Town Hall on Health Insurance Reform and Seniors

Christopher Hass — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:25:08 EDT

UPDATED: Today's town hall has ended, but we'll have more coverage of the Vice President later in the day.

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:21:53 EDT

Photo: President Barack Obama laughs during the taping of his appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in New York

Listen Live: President Obama Speaks on the Economy

Christopher Hass — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:52:06 EDT

UPDATED: The President's speech has concluded, and we'll have a full transcript of his remarks later in the day.

Open Thread

Christopher Hass — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:47:05 EDT

Photo: Rally for Health Reform with President Obama at the University of Maryland

President Obama on the Sunday Morning News Shows

Christopher Hass — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:03:49 EDT

This morning, President Obama will sit down for interviews on a number of the major Sunday morning news shows, including ABC's This Week George Stephanopoulos, CBS's Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, CNN's State of the Union with John Roberts, and Univision.

Check your local listings for times and channels.

The President's Weekly Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:45:19 EDT

Video Message from the President: "Warm Wishes for Rosh Hashanah"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:48:06 EDT

At sundown tonight, the Jewish community here in the United States and all over the world celebrates the start of the new year. Earlier today, President Obama released a special video message:

Fired Up, Ready To Go

Christopher Hass — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:52:10 EDT

Host or Attend a Health Reform Phone Booth

Christopher Hass — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:06:32 EDT

From Organizing for America Deputy Director, Jeremy Bird:

Last week the President laid out his health reform plan and challenged Congress to act. OFA volunteers leapt into action, generating hundreds of thousands of signatures and calls to show grassroots support. Now we need to reach out in our communities, spread the facts about the President's plan, and bring new voices of support into Washington.

If you can spare your lunch hour (or a couple of hours whenever you're free), you can help make it happen. Here's how: Organize or attend a "Health Reform Phone Booth."

It's simple: Just join up with other supporters in a public area where people will pass by, distribute fact sheets about the President's plan, and help folks call their members of Congress on the spot to voice their support.
You can search online to see if there's a booth already set up near you. But if not, just host your own! We'll give you all the materials, phone numbers, and step-by-step instructions you need to make it a success -- and when you register your Phone Booth online, other OFA volunteers can join you to lend a hand:

http://my.barackobama.com/SeptPhoneBooth

Passing health reform won't be easy -- they've been talking about it in Washington for almost a century. But we know that when ordinary people who believe in change reach out, spread the facts, and help folks from all walks of life make their voices heard, we can make history.

Thanks for making it happen,

Jeremy

Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America

P.S. -- In August we asked a few OFA volunteers to test out running a Health Reform Phone Booth in their area, and we got great reports -- even from folks who were pretty nervous before they began. Here are just a couple:
I will confess that I questioned my decision to host an event the instant I hit the send button. I imagined myself on a street corner, handing out fliers like the guys hand out restaurant flyers. Relief struck when the first volunteer signed up with me. Imagine how thrilled I was when 15 had signed up!... We distributed 300 phone booth sheets and 600 info sheets... The best part, one of our volunteers was 79 1/2 years old. She was remarkable. Thank you for this opportunity. I am very glad I did it, no matter how nervous I was.
-- Mark P. from New York, New York
We had two veterans tell us that they were very happy with the VA system, and one vowed to write a letter to the editor to dispel the myths that that system doesn't work. Many people thanked us for having a booth and for trying to dispel the lies being spread by opponents of reform.
-- Mike O. from Bozeman, Montana