By Brian Beutler - August 3, 2009
If you've been paying attention to the political fight over health care reform, you've likely heard something or other about the importance of the August recess. Politicians will be making the case for or against reform. Activists will be supporting and opposing them. Interest groups will be muddying the waters in various ways and turning up the heat on members they hope to influence. It can be so confusing!
So here's what you need to know. Below, I've broken down August activities and events by venue. Key politicians, and outside groups, will take to districts and states, newspapers and airwaves, and backroom meetings to influence reform over while Congress is in recess. And you'll probably have to crawl in a hole for the rest of summer if you want to escape the coming flurry of activity.
IN THE FIELD- Members of the House and Senate will be hosting town hall events, conducting media availabilities, and meeting with key stakeholders in their districts and across their states. According to a memo sent to House Democrats as they prepared to depart on Friday, "ach week, a national event will be organized to highlight...progress on health insurance reform. Events will range from a Committee field hearing, a DC-based press event, or events in Members' districts with Leadership or Committee Chairmen."
At those events, members will be armed with an index card produced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi--a cheat sheet of sorts to keep them on point about what, specifically, their constituents have to gain from Democratic health care reform efforts.
- President Obama's political arm, Organizing for America, will be canvassing and hosting rallies across the country. There are hundreds of events on the calendar, with many yet to be scheduled. Though they're not quite there yet, OFA will have paid field staff organizers in all 50 states to supplement the work of volunteers and organizers from outside groups.
- Those outside groups will almost invariably fall under the umbrella of the campaign Health Care for America Now. HCAN has 120 organizers in 44 states--all except for Alabama, Alaska, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Vermont--who will ramp up their efforts significantly in August. They'll host "thank you events" for members of the three House committees--Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce--that voted to advance health care legislation, and for those members who've tried hardest to prevent the bill from being weakened. Their message will echo the message coming from reform-oriented members, focused on the role the insurance industry has played in fighting reform, and on the many ways reform can benefit not just the uninsured, but the overwhelming majority of constituents. HCAN will target obstructionist members, and fence sitters--some of whom should expect to be bird-dogged by pro-reform activists--and will be pressuring senators to support the Senate HELP committee's reform bill.
more
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
