Anna~Anna
"Flintville Annie"
© 2006-2015
"Widely viewed as dead two months ago, the Senate-passed bill cleared the House on a 219-212 vote, with Republicans unanimous in opposition.
Congressional officials said they expected Obama to sign the bill as early as Tuesday.
A second measure — making changes in the first — was lined up for passage later in the evening. That measure would go to the Senate, where Democratic leaders said they had the votes to pass it."
AMEN!
XOXO
Me
My blog today would not be complete without this reference.
Cong. Steny H. Hoyer
House Democratic Majority Leader
H-107, The Capitol
Washington D.C. 20515
There’s no issue that touches people more directly than health care, so there’s good reason for people to want as much reassurance as they can get before the country goes ahead with reform.
That’s why those who work in our health care system day in and day out have a unique role in weighing in on the merits of any reform effort.
In that field, one could hardly find a better voice than Marla J. Weston, PhD, RN, head of the American Nurses Association, who spoke out today loudly and clearly: “If ever there was a time to trust a nurse—that time is now. Please trust me when I tell you that we can’t afford to put off reform for one more administration—one more political season—or even one more day… This legislation will enact very real and much-needed insurance reforms; it will place a new focus on wellness and prevention, improving access to primary care and expanding coverage to over 30 million people.”
It would only make sense that Americans listen to groups dedicated to advocating for the sick and disabled, for our kids and our nation’s seniors, and for the American consumer. And for women, communities of color, and people of faith, it is more than understandable that they would want to hear from groups that have studied the proposals closely to see how it impacts them and their communities. Organizations representing 59,000 Catholic nuns, for example, joined together today to passionately urge Congress to act: “In this Lenten time, we have launched nationwide prayer vigils for health care reform. We are praying for those who currently lack health care. We are praying for the nearly 45,000 who will lose their lives this year if Congress fails to act. We are also praying for you and your fellow Members of Congress as you complete your work in the coming days. For us, this health care reform is a faith mandate for life and dignity of all of our people.”
Small businesses, fighting through a still-tough economy, also rightly want to know what this would mean for them, and the Small Business Majority makes the case (click), on the benefits, adding that “Two-thirds or more of small business owners we polled in 17 states agree that healthcare reform is needed now to get the US economy back on track.”
But those groups are just the tip of the iceberg -- in an unprecedented show of diverse, even sweeping support, a virtual army of organizations came out in support of the President’s health reform proposal this morning as Congress prepares to make its final decisions. The astounding list of 244 organizations provided Families USA, which led the way in coordinating the coalition, is below:
Physicians' and nurses' organizations
Consumer organizations:
Groups representing communities of color
Disease and disability organizations
Organizations representing hospitals and health providers
Labor organizations
Religious organizations
Seniors and children’s organizations
Women’s organizations
President Obama's proposal for health insurance reform would end the days of discrimination based on gender. Insurance companies would be banned from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition and would have to cover preventative care like mammograms.
For America's women and families, the time is now for health insurance reform.
As if it weren’t bad enough that military contractors in Iraq are raping their female co-workers with impunity, there is now substantial anecdotal evidence that US women are being denied health coverage because of “pre-existing conditions” resulting from rape, as well as statistical proof that the health insurance industry regularly discriminates against women.
The National Women’s Law Center has released new research indicating that women are charged as much as 48% more than men for individual insurance, and that women are routinely denied coverage for such so-called pre-existing conditions as having had a C-section or survived domestic abuse. As Peggy Robertson testified recently to Congress, because she had had a C-section, her insurance company declined to cover her at all unless she agreed to be sterilized (see video below).
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Chances are that we all know of someone who owns/drives a Toyota.
This is from my inbox this morning.
Please click and offer your own words to Toyota.
They have the audacity to lobby AGAINST American Auto Safety Standards?
Take a moment to click and to submit the petition.
You do not have to write your own words, but a separate box is there if you wish to.
XOXO
Me
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From US News: "“Toyota’s tentacles are spread far and wide on Capitol Hill. Senate records show Toyota-related entities spent $4.1 million on lobbying last year — and $35.2 million during the past decade.”
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2010/0211_toyota_safety_kaufmann.aspx
The article continues by illustrating the close ties between the NHTSA and the auto industry, pointing to how political appointees, who included car industry lawyers, ran the agency. It cites Andrew Card, George W. Bush’s chief of staff and former lobbyist for the auto industry, as concluding that “it may be that some investigations were terminated for political reasons.”
From Gladys:
"Toyota says its most interest is safety ...
REALLY ??
So, why lobby against auto safety standards for years, why a card carrying member of the Chamber of Commerce who also lobbied for years against safety standards and regulations!! Who's zooming who??
Senators Shelby and Sessions of ALA (R), Senators Cochran and Wicker of MS (R) and Gov. Barbour of MS (R) should all be subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury, along with Toyota's Japanese CEO !!
What is an American life worth to these republican politicians ??
Despite all their recent problems, Toyota is giving money to lobbyists who oppose car safety standards through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
I signed this petition to Toyota urging them to quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and I hope you will too. Click the link"
The " Toyota: Stop lobbying against car safety " campaign is brought to you by MoveOn.org Political Action™.
************ Text from site:
Toyota wants customers to believe that safety is it's number one priority. So why is Toyota funding lobbyists who oppose auto safety standards? Toyota remains a funder of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which for years has led efforts to strangle car safety protections.
Sign our petition urging Toyota to quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to Toyota.
Gabriel waiting to be adopted! He is SO happy to be a Piantek! 
