Urge Bennett to continue fighting for the public option in the Senate

[eridani]

Dear Public Option Supporter,

Congress passed its health insurance reform bill last night. It's an admirable first step, but the task of providing affordable health care to every American is still before us.

This week, the Senate will pass a series of fixes to the bill. This is the moment for a leader in the Senate to make the first step towards actual health care reform: putting the public option up for a vote.

Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado led others in the Senate in showing that a public option can pass. Now it's up to Bennet to show it he's a real leader and force a vote on the public option.

More than 22,000 people have already signed our petition to Michael Bennet to force a vote on the public option. We're going to deliver the petition to his office in Denver on Wednesday. Can you add your name now?

Click here to tell Michael Bennet to show leadership and put the public option up for a vote. Sign our petition now: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/bennetPO

Senator Michael Bennet led the fight to, in his words, "save the public option." Bennet said adding a public option will make health reform "far more effective" in providing "real choices for working families" who need health insurance. Bennet concluded, "we need to take the final step to include a public option."

Bennet's primary challenger for his Senate seat, Andrew Romanoff, has already called on the Senate to "allow an up-or-down vote on the public option." The only question that remains is if Michael Bennet really meant to "save the public option," or if it was all for cheap political points.

Let's be clear: health insurance reform has already passed. President Obama will sign the legislation into law at any time. Anything that's done in Congress during this next stage will simply fix what will already be the law.

Adding a public option to these fixes won't endanger passage of reform in the House, because that's already over. A majority of the Senate has said they'd vote for a public option. There's no reason not to force a vote on the issue.

This week we can hold an up or down, majority rules vote on a public option. This is the moment. Really, this is our only chance. Will Michael Bennet step up and force a vote?

Sign our petition to Michael Bennet: show you meant it when you said you want to "save the public option." Force a vote by introducing the public option in the Senate this week.

Click here to sign: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/bennetPO

Thanks for all you've done with us throughout this health care fight. We have a long way to go before we can truly reform health care, but we couldn't have come as far as we did without your support and dedication.


email: [e-mail]
phone: [phone]
web: http://backbonecampaign.org/

[eridani]

1. Kick for the morning crowd. We DO have the votes! n/t