LA House Votes to Nullify Federally Mandated Health Insurance

LA House Votes to Nullify Federally Mandated Health Insurance

Louisiana lawmakers want to exempt LA citizens from the federal mandate requiring all citizens to purchase health insurance. 

The House of Representatives voted 59-15 today to declare that Louisiana residents should not be subject to the looming mandate to buy health insurance, an anchor provision of President Barack Obama's recently enacted health care overhaul.

Both the debate and the vote fell along party lines, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans to forge a majority. Several other Democrats chose not to vote, a tacit admission of the political difficulty, particularly for white Democrats, of associating with a president who is overwhelmingly unpopular among white Louisiana voters.
House Bill 1474 states that every Louisiana resident "is and shall be free from governmental intrusion in choosing or declining to choose any mode of securing health insurance coverage without penalty or threat of penalty."

Interestingly, the one argument that Republican legislators don't seem to be making in support of their bill (HB 1474) is that their constituents cannot afford such a mandate, which does lead one to wonder why that objection was raised so loudly before the health reform initiative passed?

Congressman Joseph Cao To Host 5th AAA Health Fair March 20

Congressman "Joseph" Cao Hosts 5th AAA Health Fair for Louisianans on March 20, 2010

Let's hear it for Congressman Cao, who continues to put his money where his mouth is on the issue of health care for Louisianans. Below is a copy of the press release issued today by his office:

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 3, 2010
CONTACT: 
D. Clayton Hall (202) 225-6636
 

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Cao to Host 5th AAA Health Fair

New Orleans, LA – On Saturday, March 20, 2010, Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA-02) will host his 5th “Affordable, Accessible, and Accountable” (AAA) Health Fair at Craig Elementary School from 10:00am to 2:00pmCST.

Cao said: “While those in Washington continue to argue over the politics of a health care reform bill, I want to help the constituents of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes with immediate health care assistance.”

Cao added: “Our health care system should be affordable, accessible, and accountable.  I host AAA health fairs for people to actively engage in preventive care.  I invite everyone in the 2nd Congressional District to take advantage of these free services and vital information.”

Who: Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao and certified health officials

What: AAA Health Fair (Affordable. Accessible. Accountable.)

Where: Craig Elementary School – 1423 St. Phillip St., New Orleans, LA

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pmCST 

The Louisiana Department of Insurance will be available to answer questions about insurance coverage, products, and rates. The U.S. Census Bureau will be on site to answer questions about the 2010 Census.

Provided services will include screenings, education, and/or referrals for the following items:

• Assistance with Prescription Medicines
• Children’s Health Insurance Enrollment (LaCHIP)
• HIV/AIDS
• Eye Exams
• Oral Health
• Mental Health
• Diabetes
• Blood Pressure
• Home Care
• Pregnancy Testing
• Stress Management
• Acupuncture

  For more information about the AAA Health Fair, click here.

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If this issue matters to you, please take a moment to contact Congressman Cao or his staff to say "thank you" for his dedication to the issue of affordable health care for all Louisianans. 

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Senators Need A Push To Pass Health Care Reform Bill

Senators Need A Push To Pass Health Care Reform Bill

Today from MoveOn:

Breaking news: congressional leaders are presenting a new plan to finish comprehensive health care reform—but it's already meeting resistance from some rank-and-file Democrats.¹

News reports say "it's unclear that they will have the votes to move forward."²

So we're launching a massive nationwide call-in effort today to send an overwhelming message to Capitol Hill: giving up on health care reform is not an option. Voters want their elected representatives to stand up and deliver, and the first step is passing real, comprehensive health care reform this year.

We've set a goal of making 45 calls to Senator Mary Landrieu from MoveOn members in New Orleans today—can you join in?

Here's where to call:

Senator Mary Landrieu
Phone: 202-224-5824

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSLA_1&cp_id=1237&id=18719-17452410-veyD4cx&t=1

Thanks for all you do.

Update: We called Senator Landrieu's office today and - Hallelujah! - we got through! The Senator's aide stated that "as of right now, Senator Landrieu is all in" to support the bill.  But don't let that keep you from calling...remember, the Senator withheld her support until virtually the last minute, so she needs to know that you want her to stick with it!

Scary New Health Care Tax = Small Tax on Cosmetic Surgery

Should Congress Tax Elective Cosmetic Procedures To Help Pay For Universal Health Care?

Now that Senator Landrieu and Congressman Cao have given their support to the health insurance reform initiative, let's talk about some of those BIG SCARY TAX INCREASES that have someone (read:. "insurance companies") splashing all kinds of silly misinformation all over TV and radio commercials.


For example, perhaps Cousin Sally was just diagnosed with leukiemia. But Sally is widowed and works two part time jobs to keep her kids in shoes and food, and neither of her low-wage jobs provides her with health insurance. On the other side of the tracks, Banker Joan has traded her youthful years to become a wealthy businesswoman, and wants to finally enjoy her single retirement. So she would like to get nice, natural looking  facelift and peruse the single life in her golden years. The Question:  Is it wrong for Congress to suggest that a small tax on Joan's fully elective, cosmetic procedure is in order to help Sally afford to get medical  insurance, which will help Sally work longer, and ensure that she is around and healthy enough to take care of her kids for as long as medically possible?

It's a question of priorities. Every special interest group in our nation has political action committee (PAC), and guess whose PAC is spending lots of money to tell you that this kind of taxing priority is wrong, wrong, wrong? If you guessed the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (if you've misplaced your thesaurus, "aesthetic" translates as "pretty") then you are a winner! These are the doctors who are being paid (and have a personal financial stake) in telling you that Congress is trying to raise health care taxes - they just don't happen to mention that the tax is relatively small for each individual, and is only applied to non-medically required, purely aesthetic, elective cosmetic procedures.



These are the kinds of priorities that Congress is currently debating with a health insurance reform bill. What they are NOT debating is a "government takeover" of health care (remember, this is insurance reform, not doctor/patient reform; no matter what version of the bill passes, you will be able to keep your own doctor and your current insurance if you can afford and prefer it).



And since we're on the topic of priorities, let's discuss this proposed "cosmetic tax." What are the doctors who specialize in cosmetic procedures claiming is wrong with such a tax? Why, they say it is discriminatory. So apparently they're under the impression that people who can afford to pay out of pocket to have purely cosmetic procedures are some kind of protected class in our society...while apparently impoverished parents and children who suffer and die due to lack of insurance should be just swept aside as a national "oops, my bad."

Look, as a former policy specialist and an aging woman myself, do I think that this tax is likely to be primarily paid by women? Of course. Women are by far the largest consumers of elective cosmetic procedures (although men are gaining on us). But the key word here is "elective." If you really don't want to pay tax on a cosmetic procedure, don't get the procedure, or get it elsewhere (although you'll probably just end up paying for another nation's taxes if you do so). If you want the procedure enough to pay tax on it... well then you can probably afford your health insurance anyway. Consider yourself fortunate to be financially (and medically) stable in a time when millions of your fellow Americans are not.

Americans are by and large a compassionate, caring group of people. If 9/11 taught us nothing else, it taught us that when the shit really hits the fan, we as a nation want to be one community that cares for its own. So I really believe that once we learn who is truly in the business of trying to buy our votes - either with money, or with hyperbolic emotional half-truths and scare tactics, then we as a nation will do the right thing for our communities and our country. So keep an eye out, and remember to always ask the question: Who stands to benefit from this commercial, or that speech, or the other emotion-laded, fist-pounding diatribe? And once you find out who that beneficiary is, ask yourself whether they're really concerned with the best interests of you and your family, or simply with their own pocketbooks. Then you'll have an educated base from which you can confidently decide your own priorities.

Senator Landrieu Supports President's Reform Bill

Senator Mary Landrieu Finally Puts Her Weight Behind President's Health Insurance Reform Bill

 

NOLA.com reported this morning that Senator Mary Landrieu, the Democratic holdout to Congressman Cao's unexpected cross-party vote supporting the President's health insurance reform plan, has finally come out in support of the proposed senate bill.

"Time is short, the political maneuvering tense and the ultimate vote will be tight, but Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., emerged from a White House meeting with President Barack Obama on Tuesday as a full-throated enthusiast for the Senate health care bill Democrats want to enact by Christmas.

Times-Picayune archive'Senate Democrats have developed a consensus that combines the best blend of private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice and competition for Americans,' U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Tuesday."While many of us expressed cost and bureaucracy concerns about early drafts of health care reform legislation, it is clear that the product the Senate is debating is a dramatic improvement," Landrieu said Tuesday evening.

"Senate Democrats have developed a consensus that combines the best blend of private and public approaches to reduce cost, expand coverage and increase choice and competition for Americans."

Landrieu's statement, issued under the headline, "Now is the Time to Pass Health Care Reform," is the most positive she has issued about the health care plan, which has been the subject of intensive negotiations in recent weeks. It came a few hours after Landrieu and nearly all Senate Democrats met with the president at the White House to talk about what he described as a historic opportunity they dare not squander.

"And from the discussions we had it's clear that we are on the precipice of an achievement that's eluded Congresses and presidents for generations -- an achievement that will touch the lives of nearly every American," Obama said after the afternoon meeting."

With all due respect, Madame Senator, it's about damn time.

We'll deal with Senator Vitter's ridiculous response to these developments at a later date.

Happy Holiday Wishes

Organizing For America asks that you remember our senators when you send out your holiday greetings this year. Let Senators Landrieu and Vitter know that your wish is for effective, affordable health care reform for all of our friends and family this year. Below you can see their message, and click to send a card to our senators.

This year, when you're writing holiday cards to your friends and loved ones, there are two more people who need to hear from you: Senator David Vitter and Senator Mary Landrieu.


With the Senate deep in final negotiations -- and a compromise just introduced that increases choice and drives costs down -- your senators need to understand how urgent reform really is.

So we've come up with a unique way for you to get the message across -- by sending your senators a card with your holiday wish for the season.

Send a holiday card to your senators, telling them that your wish this season is for them to pass health insurance reform.

Since the full Senate began debating reform just over two weeks ago, approximately 224,000 Americans have lost their health insurance, while spiraling costs have forced countless more into bankruptcy or foreclosure.

That's a big number -- it's as many people as live in a city like Baton Rouge, and more than live in Reno.

This crisis affects everyone in our community. It could be a father down the street who now won't be able to pay for care when his son breaks his leg playing soccer, or a daughter who must watch helplessly as her newly-uninsured mother gets a breast cancer diagnosis she can't afford to treat.

Every day brings thousands more stories of heartbreak and struggle that just shouldn't be in a nation as blessed as ours.

So please take a moment to cut through the noise in D.C. with your simple holiday wish: affordable, quality health care for every American family.

Send your holiday card for health reform today:

http://my.barackobama.com/HolidayCard

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

The Ballad of Joseph Cao

The Ballad of Joseph (Joe) Cao

Why the Pro-Life Movement Should Support Health Care Reform

Why the Pro-Life Movement Should Support Health Care Reform

Much has been made of Congressman Cao's recent cross-party vote to support the health care reform bill that was passed by the House of Representatives this week, but Cao has been on the side of our health ever since his election. In fact, as a recipient of his e-mail newsletter (you can sign up on his website), I have personally received no less than 5 messages in the last 2 months from his office directly related to health care issues in our community, including information about local health fairs, instructions on where LA residents can get H1N1 flu vaccines, his work to re-open Charity Hospital, and more. Critics can say what they will, but no one can deny that health issues have been a priority for Cao's office ever since his election.

So why is Congressman Cao so willing to take on an issue that has most Republican (and not a few Democrat) officials quaking in their political boots? There could be many reasons, but for my money, I'll say it's because he is unusually far-sighted for a congressman, especially one from our neck of the woods. Cao's priorities are far from hidden. He wants Charity Hospital re-opened. He wants Louisiana residents to have access to affordable health care. And he wants the Right To Life platform to put its money where its mouth is and take charge of the issue. And ultimately, that may prove to be his most notable battle.

Our Declaration of Independence states that we are endowed by our Creator with certain "unalienable" rights, including the right to life. Lawyers may argue that the Declaration, being a separate document from the Constitution, does not itself endow any rights upon U.S. citizens, and that therefore the failure to save a life when we have the ability to do so does not necessarily violate the legal principles of our nation. I disagree. In a nation where we have both the money and the technology to save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who would otherwise die simply due to lack of health insurance, I believe that we have a moral and ethical, if not historical, obligation to provide that life-saving insurance - whatever the cost.

Indeed, if any political movement of our generation should be backing the call to reform health care, it is the "Right To Life" movement. It doesn't take a genius to see the connection between fighting to maintain the life of a fetus and fighting to maintain the life of a fellow citizen. Or have we reached some sad social benchmark where we care more for the life of a potential person than an actual one?

What Congressman Cao has done with his vote is not only support the right of our citizens to have access to effective, affordable medical care; he has also united the good intentions of the Right to Life movement with the stark realities of a nation which has failed to provide the most basic necessities to maintain the lives of  the citizens it already has. What the Health Care Reform movement may not have taken into account when it began is what the liberal voting base may have to give up in order to see successful reform enacted. Congressman Cao has very likely struck the first blow in a battle that could ultimately determine the way we as a nation proceed with both issues. Ultimately, it is possible that neither the Right to Life movement nor the Health Care Reform movement can come to fruition without the other. The question now is, what is the liberal voting base prepared to give up in order to see real health care reform enacted? And what is the conservative voting base willing to lay on the line in order to to advance the pro-life agenda? If we follow both arguments to their logical conclusion, it seems to me that they unfailingly end up in a place where we must either place the ultimate value on all lives, or none of them.

For those of you who are wondering, yes, my inner feminist is actively screaming bloody murder at the very thought of losing ground on the battle for women's rights, especially in a nation that has not even been able to pass an Equal Rights Amendment. Yet I cannot deny that my perspective on the matter of health care changed when I lost my own health insurance due to a chronic illness - just as my perspective on the matter of right to choice might change if our nation could ensure that any unwanted child born would, at the very least, have access to the basic health and medical care needed to ensure her or his healthiest possible life - no matter what. So if the Right to Life movement wants to gain votes, here is its best chance. Let the Right to Life advocates fight as hard for the lives of our fellow citizens now as they have for the lives of the unborn in the past, and - for the first time in my life - they might in return see my vote and my check headed in their own direction.

Louisiana Congressman Crosses Party Lines to Support Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao Crosses Party Lines to Support Health Insurance Reform

Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao has a history of listening to the concerns of his constituents.

History is being made in our very midst, Louisiana.

Yesterday at 11:15 p.m. the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass their version of the health insurance reform bill. For those of you who are counting, this is the first time in the history of our nation that either chamber of Congress has passed a comprehensive health insurance reform bill. Among the 220 votes supporting the bill (215 voted against it) we find our very own Louisiana Representative, Congressman Cao (pronounced Gow). As if the House vote weren't historic enough, Congressman Cao crossed party lines to throw his political weight behind the reform bill - the only Republican to do so.

As ever, the price for making history is steep. Obviously Congressman Cao runs the risk of alienating his largely conservative constituency by crossing traditional Republican party lines to support health insurance reform. And the news for his liberal constituents isn't perfect either - Cao was instrumental in removing any portion of the bill that would provide government subsidized funds for abortions. Critics of the Congressman will likely opine that he hopes to have his cake and eat it too (does that expression make sense to anyone?). But we here at HFL take a different view, and we'll tell you why:

Over the past several months, we have lobbied each of our representatives in Congress heavily regarding health insurance reform, and that means lots of e-mails, letters, phone conversations, and direct meetings when possible. Any member of Congress will send a return form letter if you write to them, but Congressman Cao has been by far the most responsive politician that I, personally, have ever dealt with. Not only was his response letter immediate, but it was also clear, well-written (you wouldn't believe the kind of crap that some representatives put their name on), and thoughtful. Regardless of one's own position on the matter, it would be difficult to read that letter and not feel that Cao has put tremendous energy and thought into the issue of health care in America.

Congressman Cao's aides are also intelligent, polite, and well-versed in political issues AND on his stance on those issues. This is in extraordinary contrast to, say, Senator David Vitter's aides, who in my personal interactions have managed to be mostly hostile, uninformed, and in all other ways pretty much totally unprepared to communicate with the general public. (We'll get to Landrieu's aides later). A politician's aides tell a lot about how seriously that politician takes his or her position as a leader, and Cao's aides have been unfailingly well informed and eager to involve his constituents. The Congressman also goes out of his way to determine his constituents' opinions on political matters. Rather than wait for opinions to find their way to his desk, the Congressman holds regular town hall meetings in his district, and his website posts surveys on major issues, allowing his constituents an ease of access that is relatively uncommon amongst the more high-brow political types.

But all of this is secondary to the strength of Congressman Cao's convictions, and the lengths to which he will go to be a positive, effective influence on the democratic process. His history of seeking out input from his constituents and his willingness to stand behind his values, putting his votes where his mouth is, make him stand out as a remarkably dignified figure amongst a crowd of glorified snake charmers.

So while we can't say that he does everything exactly the way we, as voters, might want him to do it, we can say this:  If Congressman Cao is brave enough to vote against his party lines for something he believes is truly in the best interest of his community, then those of us who traditionally vote Democrat can vote against our party lines to keep him in office. Because when it comes right down to it, party lines are just a convenient illusion, and one that tends to distract voters (and politicians) from the real issues. They are no substitution for careful consideration and ethical action, and we think Congressman Cao embodies an approach to representation that truly brings the "serve" back into public service.

If you live in LA's Second District, click here to share your thoughts with Congressman Cao.

Why We Should Support Reform NOW

Why We Should Support Reform...NOW!

There are many reasons that our readers might want to support the health care and insurance reform efforts currently going on in congress. Some might support the bill because they cannot currently access health insurance due to a pre-exisiting condition or excessive cost. Others might want to use the public option to receive more affordable prescription medications. Some might simply believe, as we do, that the American economy would be improved by providing an affordable public insurance option for small business owners, contract or part-time employees, and those who are self-employed.

But there is one good reason to support the health care reform option as it exists now...because the longer the debate is drawn out, the less benefits we are likely to see. More than a few people are legitimately undecided about health care reform. They believe that reform is necessary, but are unsure how to go about it. But the real concern we have is in regards to those in congress and business who go out of their way to reject virtually any form of health care reform. Senators like David Vitter, who receive the majority of their campaign contributions from insurance and pharmaceutical companies, are putting the very nature of health care improvement at risk. Because the longer the debate continues, the more concessions will have to be made to satisfy those squeaky political wheels who benefit from resisting reform.

It is our belief that nothing is more powerful in America than an idea whose time has come, and like it or not, subsidized health insurance is that idea today. Make no mistake, some form of health care reform will be enacted. It will be enacted because it is an idea that has been effectively, if not perfectly, put into action in every other industrialized nation in the world. It will be enacted because it has received in President Obama the champion it previously lacked. It will be enacted because people like us - you and me - know that reform is key to the political and social future of our nation. And, perhaps most importantly, it will be enacted because Americans who have lived the alternative - who have lost loved ones or whose own lives are at risk without a public option - will never, can never stop lobbying for it. For millions of us, it is literally a matter of life and death.

But just to enact some health reform is not enough. Reform must be effective. It must provide affordable alternatives to Americans who currently have none. It must raise our designation as an ethical democracy in the world forum. And the longer we wait to support reform, the more we will have to give up to make it a reality.

If you have not already done so, please read about President Obama's plan. As it currently stands, it contains measures that would improve not only the status of those who are currently uninsured, but would also guarantee continued coverage to those who currently have insurance. It would be paid for up front, primarily by taxes that have already been collected, and it would not add a dime to the federal budget deficit. It is that rare but beautiful creature - a public policy that is designed to truly solve a problem. But the longer we wait, the more we hesitate, the more this plan will be torn apart by critics who will demand concessions that will mean less coverage, more cost, and ultimately could put enough holes in this plan to make it as ineffective as they already swear it to be. And then, as we all know, the terrorists win.

Don't let that happen. In all seriousness, this is about YOUR right to affordable health insurance. Congress will not win this battle for us.... they already have guaranteed health insurance for the rest of their lives. We don't. We have only each other. That is why we must each, individually, make our demands known. And the sooner we do that, the more our reform will look like this:

The President's Plan for Health Reform “It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government." – PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
If You Have Health Insurance, the President's Plan: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs.	If You Don’t Have Insurance, the President's Plan: Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.	For All Americans, the President's Plan: Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.

LA Senator David Vitter on Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana Senator David Vitter On Health Care/Health Insurance Reform

Louisiana's Senator David Vitter (to label him "Republican" might be something of an understatement and/or a misnomer, depending on who you ask) is back in the news today regarding what seems to be a never-ending Washington prostitution ring scandal, but we're more interested in his stance on the state of health care in Louisiana. So we wrote to Senator Vitter about our support for reforms that would mean affordable health insurance for all Louisianans, and received in response his form letter on the issue (the same letter you would likely receive if you wrote to him on the issue). Senator Vitter's form response to the health care issue reads as follows (the only edit we made was to replace the name with an initial in the first line):

Dear Mrs. M.,             Thank you for contacting me in favor of a public health insurance plan.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.              I understand many Americans are uninsured or underinsured, causing many individuals and families to not receive the proper care they need to stay healthy.  I am committed to finding ways to provide quality and affordable health insurance to all Americans, and I believe we can reform health care by allowing reimportation of safe, cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and by speeding the approval of generic drugs.  Also, I believe we should offer small businesses the ability to pool together, which would provide the same negotiating advantage as corporations, to get access to affordable health care for their employees.  And, providing refundable tax credits would make health care more affordable and accessible by empowering individuals and families with more buying power to pick the health care plan that best fits their needs.              I also want health care reform, but I am concerned that the America's Affordable Health Choices Act would actually limit choices, diminish quality, and do nothing to control costs.  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projected that this plan would cost more than $1 trillion over the next ten years and would still leave 34 million people uninsured.  Other independent studies show that 118 million Americans or 60 percent would lose their current coverage to be pushed on to the public plan.  I am concerned that the creation of a public plan would hinder Americans' access to the care they need and could result in long waiting lines for important surgeries and procedures.  I will continue working to make health care more affordable and accessible for Louisiana families as the Senate considers health care reform. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important issue.  Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future about other issues important to you.

Sincerely, Senator David Vitter United States Senator

What we can discern from this letter:

1. Senator Vitter is aware that millions of Americans (and therefore presumably Louisianans) are currently uninsured or underinsured.
2. Senator Vitter supports the "reimportation" of prescription drugs from Canada. Apparently, he does not feel that the same drugs should simply be made more affordable to Americans in the first place. Why might this be? Perhaps we should consider that Vitter's top campaign contributors are from the "Health Industry" - and who has the money in the the health industry? Ah, that would be the insurance companies...followed closely by the pharmaceutical companies.
3. Senator Vitter believes that small companies should be able to pool together to seek insurance - which they already can. 
4. Senator Vitter wants to "solve" the problem of lack of insurance for millions of Americans by suggesting some kind of tax refund (although he doesn't seem want to suggest to anyone who hasn't written to him supporting health insurance reform). What's the biggest tax refund you have ever received? Would it come anywhere near paying for the cost of quality health insurance? We didn't think so.
   
5. Senator Vitter believes that the President's plan for health care reform is too expensive. So apparently, the senator has higher priorities for your tax dollars than to help you pay for your own health insurance. He would rather that money go... where? Oh, right. To his top campaign contributors - the health insurance industry.
6. Senator Vitter believes "independent" studies which seem to say that the plan would still leave millions without insurance, though how that is possible with a public option open to everyone, he doesn't explain. Nor does he provide you with a reference for these "studies," so I guess he just assumes that you wouldn't understand them anyway. We should just take his (and the insurance companies') word on it.
   
7. Senator Vitter seems to be under the impression that providing a public insurance option, affordable and open to anyone, would somehow cause a trend of people who are currently insured to lose their insurance, although he doesn't explain how or why this would be the case. In fact, he appears to be behind the times on this one, since Louisiana residents are already losing their health insurance at a faster rate than residents of any other state.

Health Statistics ; % Point Change in Uninsured (most recent) by state

VIEW DATA:  Totals	Definition     Source      Printable version
Bar Graph Map

Showing latest available data.

Rank   States  Amount  # 1   Delaware: 5.9   # 2   Mississippi: 5   # 3   Pennsylvania: 4.1   # 4   Rhode Island: 3.4   # 5   Tennessee: 3   # 6   New Jersey: 2.6   = 7   Utah: 2.1   = 7   Connecticut: 2.1   # 9   Missouri: 1.6   # 10   Michigan: 1.5   # 11   Vermont: 1.3   # 12   Wisconsin: 1.2   = 13   Minnesota: 1.1   = 13   Illinois: 1.1   = 13   Georgia: 1.1   # 16   North Carolina: 0.6   = 17   New Hampshire: 0.5   = 17   Arizona: 0.5   = 19   Colorado: 0.4   = 19   Oklahoma: 0.4   # 21   Nevada: 0.3   # 22   Montana: 0.2   # 23   North Dakota: -0.1   # 24   Massachusetts: -0.5   # 25   Maryland: -0.6   # 26   Iowa: -0.7   # 27   South Carolina: -0.8   # 28   Kentucky: -0.9   # 29   Oregon: -1.1   # 30   South Dakota: -1.2   # 31   Nebraska: -1.3   # 32   Texas: -1.4   # 33   Alabama: -2.1   # 34   Virginia: -2.2   = 35   Indiana: -2.3   = 35   Florida: -2.3   = 37   California: -2.4   = 37   District of Columbia: -2.4   # 39   New York: -2.5   = 40   Hawaii: -2.8   = 40   Ohio: -2.8   # 42   Maine: -3   # 43   West Virginia: -3.1   # 44   Washington: -3.3   # 45   Wyoming: -3.4   = 46   Kansas: -3.8   = 46   New Mexico: -3.8   # 48   Arkansas: -3.9   # 49   Alaska: -4.8   # 50   Idaho: -4.9   # 51   Louisiana: -7.2   Weighted average: -0.6

To summarize: Senator Vitter, who is self-admittedly perhaps not the foremost authority on "family values," knows that millions of us are uninsured. He knows that we cannot afford our prescription medications. But his campaign benefited more from the contributions of insurance and pharmaceutical companies than from any other industry. So, perhaps not coincidentally, he does not support health care reform as it is currently being debated, nor does he offer any more likely option. Senator Vitter would like, in short, to do absolutely nothing to help your family access affordable, quality medical care. He told us so himself.

Would you like to say something to Senator Vitter? Let your views be known (and let us know what he says)!  You can contact him via the internet, or through any of his offices:

Senator David Vitter:

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  Washington, D.C. Office

  516 Hart Senate Office Building
  Washington, DC 20510
  Main: (202) 224-4623
  Fax: (202) 228-5061
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Central Louisiana Office

  2230 S. MacArthur Dr., Suite 4
  Alexandria, LA 71301
  Main: (318) 448-0169
  Fax: (318) 448-0189
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northeast Louisiana Office

  1217 N. 19th St.
  Monroe, LA 71201
  Main: (318) 325-8120
  Fax: (318) 325-9165
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Northwest Louisiana Office

  920 Pierremont Road, Suite 113
  Shreveport, LA 71106
  Main: (318) 861-0437
  Fax: (318) 861-4865
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southeast Louisiana Office

  2800 Veterans Blvd., Suite 201
  Metairie, LA 70002
  Main: (504) 589-2753
  Fax: (504) 589-2607
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Southwest Louisiana Office

  3221 Ryan St., Suite E
  Lake Charles, LA 70601
  Main: (337) 436-0453
  Fax: (337) 436-3163
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Acadiana Office

  800 Lafayette St.
  Suite 1200
  Lafayette, LA 70501
  Main: 337-262-6898
  Fax: 337-262-6373
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Baton Rouge Office

  858 Convention St.
  Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  Main: 225-383-0331
  Fax: 225-383-0952