Letter from a Capital Hill Worker on the Health Care Bill

 A friend sent this letter. It was written by a staffer on on Capitol Hill who is well know in her circles. Go here to find the contact information for your Senator and your Representative.

It is not too late.

*Just a note: my personal view is that this bill needs to be broken down into separate issues, and not try to lump so many together. Addressing the overall issue is long overdue -- but -- we must address our debt and avoid adding to it.

Beautifull rendered image by cranium / Niels on FlickrDear friends and family---

Please feel free to forward this email, but please remove my na me and email address before sending. 

The House is planning to vote to pass the major health care overhaul this weekend (Sunday).  Speaker Pelosi is still trying to put together the 216 votes she needs together to pass the bill and pro-life Democrats are crucial.  Especially important are the undecided Members in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. (See list of most critical Members of the House below.)

The bottom line for pro-lifers is that the bill will allow federal taxpayer subsidies to help buy insurance policies that pay for abortion, and federal funds will pay for abortions in federally subsidized health care programs like the Community Health Centers.  

In the UK, when you tell your Doctor that you are pregnant it is common for him or her to respond by asking , "is that a good thing"?  And even at the 20 week ultrasound they remind you that you can still have an abortion.  Why? Because it saves money.  That's where we are headed to if this bill is not stopped.  

The atmosphere on the hill is frenetic. Intense pressure from the President, the Democratic Leadership and traditional democratic activist like Unions is bearing down on Members of Congress. Rep. Bart Stupak, the pro-life Democrat leading the band of pro-lifers standing up against all this pressure, said it's been like "a living hell."  His wife has even unplugged their home phones due to obscene calls, and people have threatened to spit in his face for his stance in defense of the unborn. 

Pray for the pro-life Democrats in Congress, watch this well done video by the Susan B. Anthony List and call or email your Member of Congress.  Congress will be in session over the weekend, so keep calling and emailing even though the workweek is over.  And, if you know people who are represented by any of these Members of Congress urge them to do the same.  Key Members: Altmire (PA), Bocceri (OH), Boyd (FL), Carney (PA), Ellsworth (IN), Hill (IN), Kanjorski  (PA), Mollohan (WV), Ortiz (TX), Pomeroy (NC), Rahall (WV), Berry (AR), Costello (IL), Dahlkemper (PA), Donnelly  (IN), Driehaus  (OH), Cao (LA), Kaptur (OH), Lipinski (IL), Stupak (MI) 
*Special Note: Ellsworth(IN) and Hill (IN) have announced they plan to support the bill. 

The air is also thick with seeds of confusion and misinformation, please pray for the truth to be evident to all. 

Thanks for your prayers, this is a very critical moment in the history of our nation. 

Love, 

xxxx

Ending Slavery: the Obama/Lincoln connection

Letter from IJM urging us to ask President Obama to end slavery. To add your name, click here

Dear Patricia,

The inauguration of President Barack Obama has historic significance that citizens across the political spectrum can appreciate and celebrate. With at least nine new Senators and 52 new Congressional Representatives coming to Capitol Hill, change is in the air in Washington.

But there are some things that haven’t changed. Beyond our borders, the poorest of the poor are victimized by violent crime – sexual violence, slavery, trafficking, police brutality, and property theft from widows and orphans. And justice systems in poor countries are ill-equipped to protect victims of violent oppression and apprehend and prosecute perpetrators. Add your name to a letter bringing these important issues to President Obama’s attention.

IJM works in twelve countries to investigate and prosecute exploitation of poor and vulnerable children, women and men, but we alone cannot provide relief for all the victims who desperately need it.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Make sure that the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress help make public justice systems capable of protecting the poorest of the poor, and the most vulnerable among them: children and women.

Please add your name to a letter bringing these important issues to President Obama’s attention – and share this message with others. Thank you for raising your voice.

Warmly,
Eileen Campbell
Director of Justice Campaigns