Very, very early this morning, the Senate took an historic vote to pass sweeping health reform. This version of the bill--while far from perfect--will help insure millions of Americans who currently lack access to affordable, quality care. President Obama sent the following email following the vote:
In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.
There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.
If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.
Success of the final bill means that within the near future, millions of Americans will have affordable insurance coverage. Millions will be spared the fear of medical bankruptcy, and millions will no longer have to choose between taking their child to the doctor and paying the light bill. This change is a holiday gift we can all be thankful for, no matter what we celebrate.
President Barack Obama continued:
There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.
After this holiday weekend, we all need to keep the pressure on, contacting our officials in the House and Senate. A stronger bill can emerge from committee, but we the people need to advocate for it.
The President's email thanked everyone who called and organized in support of health reform, and asked us to sign a letter of thanks to those Senators who voted in favor of the bill. After all, it is just as important to thank our elected officials for doing the right thing as it is to challenge them when they do not.
I signed the letter, and I left a note:
"Thank you. As a citizen of Texas, my Senators do NOT want me to have access to affordable, quality care. They do not believe that we need reform, and are satisfied with the status quo. Those of us in Texas--where we average 24% uninsured--are depending on this reform to give us access to care and coverage. Thank you for doing what our own Senators would not--standing up for change, and standing up for the American people."
We're one step closer to historic health reform. There are still a few important steps to go, we should all be happy with today's progress. |
