[GPCA Updates] GPUS: Cynthia McKinney + Single-Payer Talking Points for National Call-In Day, Jan. 15

[Green Party of California Updates]

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                    From the GPUS



 From Craig Seeman (Green Party of New York State)

Cynthia McKinney - Palestine, Israel, on boat being rammed

Cynthia Mckinney talks about Palestine, Israel and her invite to the
relief boat destined for the Gaza.

NYC Ethical Culture Tuesday January 13, 2008

Part 1 Hi Def http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psk5rjjsvy4&fmt=22Link
Part 1 Standard Def for lower bandwidth 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psk5rjjsvy4Link

Part 2 Hi Def http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYc70aTHms&fmt=22Link
Part 2 Standard Def for lower bandwidth 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYc70aTHmsLink
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 From Healthcare-NOW! (http://www.healthcare-now.org)

Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care
Ring in the New Year and the New Congress!

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY FOR HR 676, Single-Payer Healthcare
Thursday, January 15, 2009

Dear Single-Payer supporters:

The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare – National
Single Payer Coalition Steering Committee is gearing up for the
second national call-in day to Congress on Thursday, January 15,
2009.  Looking back, thank you to everyone who made the December
22nd call-in day a huge success.  By 11am that day, Senator
Kennedy's office reported to have already received over 1000 phone
calls!  Many congressional offices across the country were flooded
with the message to support HR 676 and stop Massachusetts style
health care reform from being used as a national model.

Here's is how to escalate our efforts for the call-in action on
January 15th:

The second Call-In Day on January 15th will target the Washington DC
offices.  Included in this email is a draft script for the call-in.

HR 676 has been reintroduced to Congress, so we are guaranteed to
continue our work supporting the same bill number in the House.
There are 86 cosponsors of HR 676 from the 110th Congress who have
been sworn into the 111th session.  This number will quickly grow
because of the extensive lobby efforts already in motion. Our goal
is to make sure elected officials hear from their constituents to
again cosponsor HR 676 and help to effectively double the number of
cosponsors in the House.

We ask that you urge your Congress member to attend the briefing on
HR 676 that will be held on January 28th from 12-2pm in Room 2237 of
the Rayburn building. The briefing will allow elected officials to
learn about the economic impact a single-payer system will have in
an economic recovery package.  In August of 2005, The National
Coalition on Health Care found in a fiscal analysis of health care
reform that "the single payer model would reduce costs by over $1.1
trillion over the next decade while providing comprehensive benefits
to all Americans."  Single-payer is the only reform proposal that
can claim cost savings and comprehensive health care for all.

The second platform for the call-in day is to urge federal Senators
to sponsor companion legislation to HR 676 in the Senate.  This is a
critical effort to compete with inadequate reforms currently
proposed for Senate discussion.

Keeping calls brief and to the point is best.  It makes your members
more willing to make calls, and makes it easier for Congressional
staff to log in your message.

You may also wish to give your members contact information for one
of your group's "experts" on HR676, just in case the Congressional
office wants more information.  Or  give them Rep. Conyers' contact
information, or Healthcare-NOW!'s information.

Please do keep track of your group's outreach efforts – especially
reactions to the calls that your members may note. All of this
information is critical as we track the support in Congress for HR
676.  Please report back about the Call-In day to Healthcare-NOW!
http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/call/

Healthcare-NOW! will be sending an email to remind everyone of the
call-in day on Thursday, January 15th.  This email should be
forwarded widely or you can send your own customized email to your list.

How to contact your representative: You can find your
representative's contact information at www.votesmart.org
(http://www.votesmart.org).  We recommend calling and/or faxing on
this day to get your message through.  If possible, request to speak
to the Chief of Staff or Health Care Aid, rather than leaving the
message with whomever answers the phone.  If calling or faxing is
not possible, you can also contact your members of Congress by email.

Draft scripts are below (activists should tweak the call scripts as
appropriate for their individual groups).  It should also be noted
that a high volume of calls have been getting through to Congress,
so some activists suggested shortening the script as the call-in day
progresses.


--------------------------------


HR676 Co-sponsor call:  Hi, my name is ----------------.  I am
calling to thank Representative ___________________ for his/her
support of HR676, John Conyers' National Health Insurance Act.  Rep.
  Conyers already reintroduced HR676 and I want to reaffirm my
support for HR676, single payer healthcare legislation and ask Rep.
____________________ to do the same by signing on again as a
co-sponsor working for true reform of this terrible healthcare
system. l also request that the Congress person, or a staff member,
attend a briefing about HR 676 and its economic impact on January
28th in Room 2237 of the Rayburn building.  With cost-savings
estimated at $1.1 trillion dollars over ten years, plus guaranteed
health coverage for every American, single-payer national health
insurance must be part of our economic recovery plan.   If you have
any questions about single payer or about me, please call me at
__________________.  Thank you.


--------------------------------


Non-co-sponsors call:  Hi, my name is ----------------.  I am
calling to urge Representative ___________________ to support of
HR676, John Conyers' National Health Insurance Act.  Rep.  Conyers
already reintroduced HR676 and I want to reaffirm my support for
HR676, single payer healthcare legislation and ask Rep.
____________________ to do the same by signing on as a co-sponsor
and working for true reform of this terrible healthcare system. I
request that you attend a special brieifing about HR 676 and its
economic impact on January 28th in Room 2237 of the Rayburn
building. With cost-savings estimated at $1.1 trillion dollars over
ten years, and guaranteed coverage for every American, single payer
national health insurance must be part of our economic recovery.  If
you have any questions about single payer or about me, please call
me at __________________.  Thank you.


--------------------------------


Message to your federal Senator: Hi, my name is ----------------.  I
am calling to urge Senator ____________ to sponsor companion
legislation in the Senate to HR 676, the National Health Insurance
Act, that will implement a national single-payer health care system
in the United States.  The current health care legislation posed for
discussion in the Senate is using the failed Massachusetts reform as
a model for the nation.  The reform in Massachusetts is leaving
thousands uninsured and is far too expensive to be sustained because
it leaves profit in the middle of our health care system.  In the
most recent election, local ballot initiatives supporting single
payer and opposing individual mandates passed by landslide margins
in all ten legislative districts where they appeared. With almost
all precincts tallied, roughly 73 percent of 181,000 voters in the
ten districts voted YES in support of a single-payer system.  Say no
to Massachusetts style health
  care, and yes to single payer health care as proposed in HR 676.
If you have any questions about single payer or about me, please
call me at __________________.   Thank you.