The House has now joined the Senate in voting for the legislation that could pave the way for the GOP’s plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). The GOP says it will have the final repeal bill drafted by January 27th.
In other words, get ready to fight for the ACA as if your life depended on it. Because it literally might.
Make it a two-pronged attack: on the phone and in the streets.
ON THE PHONE: Over the next two weeks, we need to barrage our members of congress with calls and emails telling them why repeal would be a disaster.
If you want to start today, see my posts here and here for information and advice on how to call/write your reps — from basic stuff on how to find their contact info as well as tips from former congressional staffers on how to make your calls and emails effective.
You can find some sample scripts to help you call about the ACA (as well as about Trump’s terrible cabinet picks) here.
If making these sorts of calls is tough for you, here’s some advice on calling politicians if you have social anxiety.
Don’t limit yourself to one set of calls over the next two weeks. Call, and call again, and then call again. If you can’t get through, leave a message. And then get ready to call again. Use any excuse you can to call. If the ACA repeal will affect you personally, tell them your story. If it will affect someone you care for, tell their story.
If you’ve already started making calls on the ACA or on Trump’s cabinet, give yourself a hand. Senate staffers are already feeling overwhelmed by the avalanche of calls. This is good.
IN THE STREETS: This Sunday (the 15th), there will be rallies around the country to protest the GOP’s plan to repeal the ACA.
Find out if there is a rally (or another event) planned in your area by going to to Bernie Sanders’ website here.
KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
This!
I don’t think that would have helped, honestly.
Once the Republicans branded it “Obamacare”, that was it. Anyone who hated Obama immediately hated the ACA because it was associated with a (BLACK) Democrat.
It’s gotten to the point where many people (mostly smug-ass Trump supporters) who are on the ACA who also hate Obama think that Obamacare and the ACA are two entirely different programs, and they believe that repealing Obamacare will have no effect on their healthcare services at all.
@PI, I have seen evidence of two such individuals this week. I haven’t run into any personally, but second and thirdhand on Tumblr.
I wasn’t trying to convince anyone to shop LL Bean, but merely to point out that The Don knows what works. He can ruin fortunes with a single tweet, and his opponents will do the heavy lifting.
Are we really going to be his flying monkeys?
@Falconer
If you can’t do what Trump wants and you can’t do the opposite either, what are you left able to do?
Fingers crossed that the ACA isn’t destroyed or de-funded – it isn’t perfect, but you don’t solve that by making it worse. People’s lives and health depend on them affording medical care.
Like No Man Rules Alone, I’m not in the States, so I can’t get in on the calling Congress part. But I encourage people from all over the place to join protests that oppose Trump, and racism, sexism, and inequality.
Two demonstrations in downtown Montreal:
At 11 AM Friday, Jan. 20, “Resist Trump! Montreal demonstration against Donald Trump and the far-right”: https://www.facebook.com/events/1957125991181212/
And at 6 PM the same day, “Manif de soir anti-Trump: Make Racists Afraid Again!”: https://www.facebook.com/events/1155609277841154/
Thank you for posting this, David. Sadly, it will not be possible to stop repeal if the Repubs prove to be united on doing it. But we can ensure that political price is high, and that may give some Republicans pause.
Already, I hear, some Republican governors are expressing concern about how this will affect their states. So I’d just like to add to David’s suggestions, if you live in a state with a Republican governor, especially one in a state that accepted the Medicaid expansion, why not give the governor a call and encourage them in expressing concern to their fellow Republicans in Congress?
To follow up on the Republican governors, here’s a link FYI:
GOP Governors Privately Urging Congress To Reconsider Full Obamacare Repeal
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-governors-obamacare_us_58792687e4b09281d0eab57d
As congressional Republicans move forward on plans to quickly repeal and ― less quickly ― replace President Barack Obama’s health care law, a wide variety of industry and political influencers are trying to slow their progress. Among the most persuasive may be a set of Republican governors who are fearful about losing the substantial health and monetary benefits from the law that their states currently enjoy.
On Friday morning, Politico reported on five such GOP governors who have been publicly calling on lawmakers to consider keeping the portion of the Affordable Care Act that supports the expansion of Medicaid in states that choose to.
Behind the scenes, these same governors are also working to persuade lawmakers from their states and those who have purview over the repeal and replace strategy that it would be wise to keep some portion of the federal matching funds for states that have pursued Medicaid expansion.
Good luck everyone! May be the force be with you!
I’m surprised there’s no rally in MN.
In a related matter, does anyone know where I can find list of inauguration day protests? I keep reading there are protests planned all over but I can never find out any information about any of them but the DC one.
@ weirwoodtreehugger,
I found a list here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anti-trump-inauguration-protests_us_58750010e4b043ad97e5c58b
It looks like there’s two events planned for Minneapolis.
Daily Kos also has a list of events that’s not restricted to inauguration day:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/15/1599582/-Trump-protests-calendar-and-information
I hope you find them helpful.
Thanks. Unfortunately, they’re both during the workday for me though 🙁
About how many people are participating in the general strike on the 20th? I will, but I’d like to know how many others will too, not just here, but in general.
@Laugher
I just can’t afford to lose the wages, unfortunately.
Someone may have posted this already, but there’s also the women’s marches on the 21st:
http://www.womensmarch.com/sisters
That’s what I was looking for! Thanks, MillenniumCrow!
After the election, I wrote to my congressman (R) expressing my concerns about the repeal of the ACA, telling him that it helped me and millions of others, and asking him to please have a replacement in mind if they truly have to repeal. He sent me back a pretty patronizing reply. He basically stated that, while ‘a few’ (har) people had been helped by the ACA, its costs were too out of control, they need to open things up to sell insurance across state lines, blah blah blah, same old talking points. Talk about a disappointing exercise in futility.
I’m on a general strike until such time as someone offers me a job, so… Count me in for the strike on the 20th unless I get really lucky with this job search.
If I didn’t already have to stay home sick for a day and a half last week, I would probably participate in the general strike. I can’t take another day off this month though.
I’m participating in the general strike on the 20th and the women’s march on the 21st. Might do the march that’s happening in my city on the 20th, but details are still sketchy. Might just save up my energy for the 21st. Plus I feel like people are trying to steal the spotlight from the women’s march with the march on the 20th.