Tell them to vote NO!  It is not too late to Kill the Bill!

You can call them using the Freedom Works Online Tool:

http://www.rallycongress.com/freedomworks/2592/call-bluedogs-in-congress-urge-them-to-vote-no-on-obamacare/ 

Faxing may be the best way to get in touch.  Here are the DC and district office fax numbers for these 13 representatives:

Sanford Bishop DC office    202-225-2203
Sanford Bishop Albany office    229-436-2099
Sanford Bishop Columbus office    706-320-9479
Sanford Bishop Thomasville office 229-226-7860
Timothy Bishop DC office    202-225-3143
Timothy Bishop Coram Office    631-696-4520
Timothy Bishop Southampton Office    631-259-8451
Dennis Cardoza DC office    202-225-0819
Dennis Cardoza Merced office    209-726-1065
Dennis Cardoza Modesto office    209-527-5748
Dennis Cardoza Stockton office    209-946-0361
Gerry Connolly DC Office    (202) 225-3071
Gerry Connolly Annandale Office    (703) 354-1284
Gerry Connolly Prince William Office    (703) 670-6042
Steve Driehaus DC Office    (202) 225-3012
Steve Driehaus Cincinnati Office    (513) 421-8722
Bill Foster DC Office    202-225-0697
Bill Foster Batavia Office    630-406-1808
Bill Foster Dixon Office    815-288-0743
Mary Jo Kilroy - DC Office    202-225-3529
Mary Jo Kilroy - Columbus Office    614-294-2384
Ann Kirkpatrick - DC Office    (202) 226-9739
Ann Kirkpatrick - Prescott Office    (928) 445-4160
Ann Kirkpatrick - Casa Grande Office    (520) 836-8417
Ann Kirkpatrick - Flagstaff Office    (928) 226-2876
Ron Klein DC Office    202-225-8398
Ron Klein Palm Beach Office    561-544-2864
Harry Mitchell - DC Office    202-225-3263
Harry Mitchell - Scottsdale Office    (480) 946-2446
Cicero Rodriguez - DC Office    (202) 225-2237
Cicero Rodriguez - Del Rio    (830) 774-2200
Cicero Rodriguez - Eagle Pass    (830) 752-1893
Cicero Rodriguez - Fort Stockton    (432) 336-3961
Cicero Rodriguez - North San Antonio    (210) 561-9442
Cicero Rodriguez - South San Antonio    (210) 923-8447
Carol Shea-Porter DC Office    (202) 225-5822
Carol Shea-Porter Dover Office    (603) 743-5956
Carol Shea-Porter Manchester Office    (603) 641-9561
Vic Snyder - DC Office    (202) 225-5903
Vic Snyder - Little Rock Office    501-324-6029

THE LEFT & RIGHT AGREE...
The bill should be killed.

There are two more chances to kill the healthcare bill in the Senate tomorrow, so more action is needed.

First, there will be a vote on the constitutionality

Second, will be the final cloture vote around 2 pm before proceeding to the final vote on the bill, which is now scheduled for 8 am Christmas Eve.  Votes needed for cloture are 60.  Today, Sen. Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY) talked about John F. Kennedy’s book, “Profiles in Courage” and said that we need one Democrat to exhibit courage and stand up and say that this is a bad bill, and that these sweetheart deals are unfair.  Maybe we can convince Ben Nelson (D-NE) to go back to his previous courageous stand against the bill.

TWO ACTIONS BEFORE WED NOON EST:

1. Write a letter to Sen. Ben Nelson expressing your position on his flip-flop.  If you intend to help any opponent he may have in his re-election, you might mention that in your letter. 

We will deliver the letters to Sen. Nelson’s office before the vote tomorrow.

An easy form is posted on www.TakeBackMedicine.com

2. Contact your Senators to tell them to vote that the bill is unconstitutional, largely due to the individual mandate.  You can find your Senators' contact information at http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO DESPISE
Two big announcements from groups on the left today grabbed our attention.

The self-acknowledged government single-payer doctors from Physicians for a National Health Plan wrote to Senators:

"We have concluded that the Senate bill's passage would bring more harm than good."

The negatives, the group says, “include the individual mandate requiring that people buy private insurance policies, large government subsidies to private insurers, the unfair taxing of high-cost health plans, and cuts of $43 billion in Medicare payments to safety-net hospitals.”

And MoveOn.org put out a list of “5 Critical Flaws in the Senate Healthcare Bill” including: #4: Tax American workers' health coverage to pay for reform.

CONSTITUTIONALITY
Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and John Ensign (R-Nevada), raised a Constitutional Point of Order on the Senate floor against the Democrat health care takeover bill on behalf of the Steering Committee, a caucus of conservative senators. The Senate will vote tomorrow on the bill’s constitutionality.

Further, during our “Virtual Vigil” webcast Sunday night, national radio talk show host, Mike Siegel, who is an attorney, explained that the bill violates a basic legal concept of “breadth.”

PROCEDURAL ARROGANCE
Once again, the Senate leadership is ignoring its own rules.

It’s complex, but the net effect is that Sen. Harry Reid inserted language into the health care legislation changing the Senate rules so that internally the Senate must have two-thirds of the Senate in agreement to consider any future amendments to Obamacare on the floor.  Oh, the Senate is actually supposed to vote on rules changes. 

VIRTUAL VIGIL FOLLOW UP
A big thanks to all of our special guests, callers and listeners Sunday night during the lead-up to the Senate vote.  RNC Chairman Michael Steele was particularly forthright and candid, and other guests such as Grover Norquist, Reps. Tom Price & Phil Gingrey, and many physicians had great information.  If you missed it, you can listen to the vigil here.

We had hundreds trying to dial in to speak, and stayed in live for 5 hours to 2 in the morning.  And we collected more than 1,000 letters to the Senate that were delivered today. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT



Here's the schedule as reported by Politico:

"The majority leader (Reid) must begin the procedural steps necessary to finish the bill by Christmas Eve. The current timeline would have the Senate taking a series of votes: at 1 a.m. Monday, 7 a.m. Tuesday, 1 p.m. Wednesday and 7 p.m. Christmas Eve."

There are still some holdouts. Backroom deals, blandishments, and arm-twisting are in high gear.

Constituents can’t get appointments, and voice mail is full.

Some Republicans are using every parliamentary rule still available, such as forcing the clerk to read the bill aloud.

The fix is supposed to be in. But faxes are possibly still getting through.

Here is the message we are faxing to Senators—and to Representatives since if the Senate bill passes, Pelosi may bring it up for immediate vote in the House—no conference committee.
http://www.takebackmedicine.com/news/aaps-sends-letter-to-senator-reid.html

Here is what you can do:

Fax the letter to your Senator and Representative, with a brief cover letter on your stationery. 

• To Republicans, ask them to hold firm and to thank Sen. Coburn and Sen. DeMint for forcing a reading of the bill.
• To Democrats, ask them to vote NO for cloture and NO on the bill if it comes to a vote. And ask them to urge Sen. Reid to withdraw this very bad bill.
• If desired, add a note on what you think is the worst provision. 

Also fax or email the letter to talk show hosts, reporters, and editors, with a personal note.

We must not give up!

Some "holdouts" are being targeted for special attention, but there may be some wild cards we don’t know about—who care about the future of our country, as well as their own.

For Senate and House FAX numbers, go to:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ and click on your state.

“Designated Readers” needed!

We need to have tools ready when Senate debate opens next week!

1. “Virtual” Read-a-thon begins today: find the worst provisions of the Senate healthcare bill
   
2. Make a 1-2 minute video of your concerns
   
3. Write a 1-pg letter to the Senate about your concerns.

The Senate debate on the healthcare bill is set to begin next week.

The Minority Leadership will introduce as many amendments as possible, many of them that would actually strip some of the language out of the bills.  When the actual language gets the sunshine of public scrutiny, many Democrats will likely vote against those provisions.

To that end, we have been asked to provide Senators with suggestions for substitute amendments and letters that Senators can read on the floor during the debate and video that they can show or post.  We are told that these 3 tools, from doctors in particular, will be a tremendous help to support opposition on the floor.

So we have your three-step plan for action:

1. DOCTORS' READ-A-THON
& VIRTUAL READING ROOM :  Wed. Nov. 25 – Tues. Dec. 1

Find the “Worst of the Worst” provisions!
Our “virtual” reading room of the House bill drew a lot of attention, so we’re doing it again with the Senate bill.

We know that most Members of Congress won't read the bill,
BUT OUR DOCTORS WILL!

So we are holding a national, virtual doctors' READING ROOM 

After reading the bill, DOCTORS WILL POST SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF CONCERNS, WITH COMMENTS FOR ALL THE PUBLIC TO READ.  We will also send your suggestions for amendments and the “worst of the worst” to the Senate.

We will also discuss them during our national Tele-Town Hall Meeting NEXT Wed. night (starting at 8 pm EST).  Join us and call in with your suggestions.

Not a doctor?  Please feel free to post your comments in the PUBLIC section, and call in during the webcast.

Two ways to participate in the read-a-thon:

The Senate bill is posted at www.TakeBackMedicine.com.

We also have online forms to post your comments about the bill or suggestions for amendments.

1. Read sections on your own & post comments on www.TakeBackMedicine.com
CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO THE READING ROOM

2. Volunteer as a “DESIGNATED READERS”
Designated drivers save lives.  We think designated readers will too.

We need about 50 volunteers to take a turn as “designated readers” over the holiday weekend.  Spend 1 to 2 hours reading 50 pages of the bill & report on your findings. 

To volunteer to read 50 pages please CLICK HERE.

2. WRITE A PERSONAL LETTER TO THE SENATE

Even if you have written or called your Senator, please write another letter, even if you Senator is supporting the bill.  These will be addressed to the Senate, and we will distribute to the Senate office where we think it will have the most impact.

They need to be brief, personal and specific.  There is an online form and instructions posted at www.TakeBackMedicine.com.  We need HUNDREDS of letters.
CLICK HERE TO WRITE & SUBMIT YOUR LETTER

3.  RECORD A 1-2 MINUTE VIDEO STATING YOUR OBJECTIONS

If you can’t run a webcam or post to YouTube, get a child, grandchild or relative to help you with this over the weekend.

Record a simple 1-2 minute video simply stating your objections and concerns.  It can duplicate what you wrote in your letter.  Just set up a shot of your head and shoulders and speak directly into the camera.  Identify yourself – name, city and state, and if you are a doctor or other health care professional, or patient. 

And then say what you have to say.  Post it to YouTube.com and send us an email with the link to your video to info@takebackmedicine.com.  We will then link to it and distribute to the Senate.  WE NEED A HUNDRED VIDEOS! 

Here’s an example from Marcy Zwelling, MD, President of the Los Angeles County Medical Association: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVpzr5i_qpQ