Appointing an interim Senator in Massachusetts is no small feat and could have huge ramifications on health reform legislation. The progress is due not only to the foresight of the late Senator Kennedy, but also to the hard work of Massachusetts advocates and legislators!
Massachusetts is on the verge of filling its vacant U.S. Senate seat, thanks in large part to the foresight of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Shortly before his death, Senator Kennedy wrote an impassioned plea to Governor Deval Patrick, asking him to change the law that currently requires a special election be held 145 to 160 days after a Senate seat becomes vacant, and instead allow the Governor to appoint a temporary successor until an election could be held. Kennedy felt Massachusetts deserved full representation in the Senate during these crucial months, when legislation such as health reform is advancing toward the Senate floor. Governor Patrick agreed with Senator Kennedy and brought the proposal before the state legislature. The Governor stated that once the measure has been approved by both chambers, he will move quickly to appoint an interim successor.
On Thursday, September 17, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 95 to 58 to approve the measure, and despite several parliamentary roadblocks thrown up by Republican leadership, the state Senate passed a bill the following Tuesday afternoon with a vote of 24 to 16 allowing Governor Patrick to name an interim successor to Senator Kennedy.
Governor Patrick made his selection Thursday, appointing former Democratic National Committee Chairman, Paul Kirk Jr. The new Senator, a long time friend and aid of Senator Kennedy’s, is expected be sworn in on Friday.
This decision couldn’t come at a more significant time in the health reform debate. The Finance Committee began their markup of the Chairman’s bill and the likelihood of a bipartisan compromise remains uncertain. Therefore, each Democratic vote is critical for victory.
Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone to get your message out! Joe Szakos and his team at the Virginia Organizing Project were able to turn his arrest into an advocacy campaign. The video has already had almost 10,000 views on YouTube.
Virginia Advocate’s Arrest Turns into Excellent Advocacy Hook!
In an earlier edition of the State Health Beat we informed you about the arrest of Joe Szakos, Executive Director of the Virginia Organizing Project. As member of Anthem insurance, he attempted to enter their office to discuss recent premium increases. Instead, he was handed over to the police for trespassing. Joe, a seasoned organizer and veteran of direct actions, took the arrest in stride. The Virginia Organizing Project took advantage of the incident and responded with a short video calling on advocates to act. The video is a must-see!
Activists Send Members of Congress Back on a Mission
The media tends to focus on the loud minority rather than the more civil majority. However, health care advocates around the country were able to make their voices heard. The pro-reform “send-off” events allowed people to gather at vigils and other non-disruptive events and take back the health care debate!
You did it! Health care reform is alive and kicking! August may have started out as a tough month for health reform, but your passion and work and the work of hundreds of advocates across the country, allowed reform to regain momentum as we head into fall.
As members of Congress returned home to gauge public opinion by holding town hall meetings and other events, many were met with a loud and disruptive minority. As we all saw, the uproar gained a ton of media attention and shifted the focus away from honest discussion. These intensely rude outbursts only fired up pro-reform activists and inspired them to turn out in droves to town halls. By the time the end of August rolled around, the truth was clear: supporters of reform are more organized, more civil, and widely outnumber their opponents.
To show the media and members of Congress that the public really does support reform, groups banned together and organized large scale “send-off” events that urged Congress to get the job done this year. Organizing for America, SEIU, and HCAN—groups with very large grassroots bases—teamed up with others to make these events successful across the country and send their message loud and clear: Health Care Reform Can’t Wait!
These events not only served the purpose of sending a message that constituents want reform, but also rallied supporters to get ready for the fight ahead.
These Maine groups have been advocating for health care reform with their Senators for a long time. By staying plugged into the national debate, they were able to leverage their influence when it mattered most and make some real changes to the health reform bill. Their ability to focus on the issues where change could be made really made the difference!
Maine advocates have taken center stage in the last few weeks as republican Senator Olympia Snowe has become a VIP in the health reform debate. In the past, both of Maine’s Senators have attracted attention for crossing partisan lines on key votes. Senator Snowe’s special role as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and her vocal support for passing reform has helped make her one of the most important players in the Senate’s discussion of health reform.
As national attention descends upon the state, Maine’s advocacy groups have been fast to act. Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC), a leading health advocacy group in the state, gathered almost 30 businesses, unions, religious groups, health organizations, and consumer advocates to send their letter to Senator Snowe regarding the Chairman’s Mark. The letter urged her to support a number of improvements to the Mark including making coverage more affordable and also prohibiting insurance companies from charging more based on age.
CAHC Executive Director Joe Ditré had this to say about Senator Snowe:
After seeing a recent media interview with Senator Snowe—we think she gets it. She understands that the number one reason that people lack health care coverage is that they cannot afford it. We need all health care costs—premiums and out of pocket costs—to be included in sliding scale health coverage rates that are based on people's income. Health coverage needs to be affordable for lower- and middle-income families. We also want to see that older Mainers, who are privately insured, are protected from huge rate hikes under proposed federal reforms that Maine's laws currently do not allow. We are hopeful Senator Snowe will take steps to include our suggestions in any health reform plan.
CAHC and their partners’ work on affordability and other important issues has already begun to yield results. Senator Snowe has enormous influence on the Senate Finance Committee’s bill as she is their last chance for bipartisanship. Senator Baucus has already refined his original Mark to reflect some concerns of the members of his committee, especially Senator Snowe. The early revisions included both affordability and age-rating improvements.
Families USA’s project site, Stand Up for Health Care, recently launched a campaign to send a different kind of message to Congress. Families USA will compile voice recordings to create a message to send to Congress. Encourage your members and partners to lend their voices to this campaign and send a new message to Congress.
