Oregonians have a unique opportunity to make a vital contribution to the
struggle for single payer healthcare legislation.
As the article below from the Corvallis Gazette-Times indicates, Oregon
Senator Jeff Merkley told a community meeting in Corvallis, "I will
support a single-payer plan if we can get it to the floor." During the
November campaign Merkley indicated support for single payer, but this
is the first time he has done so since being elected.
If Senator Merkley will introduce a Senate companion bill to Congressman
John Conyers' House single payer bill (HR 676) or co-sponsor the single
payer bill (S 703) just introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont,
the national struggle for single payer will be lifted to a new level.
We need to put the single payer solution on the table in the Senate as
well as the House.
For Senator Merkley to take such a step he must hear from enough of his
constituents to persuades him that popular support and activism for
single payer is massive and is stronger than the power of the health
insurance and pharmaceutical corporations.
Our hope is that Oregonian's can take up the challenge of persuading
Senator Merkley to take this action.
Please write Sen. Merkley and tell him you support HR 676 and ask him to
introduce HR 676 in the Senate or sign on as a co-sponsor of S 703.
Ask other community organizations or individuals to write or call Sen.
Merkley.
Attend community forums and meetings where he is appearing and raise the
single payer health care issue in ways that show the popular support.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2009/03/22/news/community/1loc02_merkley.txt
Merkley backs single-payer system
By Rachel Beck
Corvallis Gazette-Times
"Health care" were the two words on everyone's lips Saturday in a public
meeting with U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley.
About 150 people packed a conference room at the Corvallis-Benton County
Public Library for a town hall meeting, Merkley's first in Corvallis
since his November election victory over incumbent Gordon Smith.
Merkley described his four committee assignments and the challenges he
hopes to help solve.
"We are facing one of the most difficult moments we've seen in the
economy in our lifetimes," he said.
Fielding questions, he said, "I will support a single-payer plan if we
can get it to the floor."
But he said there must be a bill on the table by summer or Congress will
get bogged down by other issues.
"We may not get this opportunity for another 20, 30 years," he said.
Merkley said he has signed on to a bill that would quadruple money to
health clinics, which are cost-effective. He also supports wellness
programs, particularly for youth, which act as preventative care.
Merkley said lack of oversight over companies such as Halliburton was a
huge problem, and a questioner asked if he would refuse campaign
contributions from such companies. Merkley said the question was too broad.
Dr. Paul Hochfeld of Corvallis drew a parallel between the senator's
answer and the power of insurance companies in the healthcare debate. He
wanted to know how the political process could be fixed to keep industry
from unfairly influencing legislation.
Merkley didn't offer specifics but said the current campaign funding
models aren't working to make sure voices are heard equally.
The economy was another topic. Merkley compared stimulus funding to a
short-term pain with long-term benefits, much preferable to not doing
anything and facing worse problems down the road.
Merkley said after the meeting that he was struck by how many people
turned out and the energy of the crowd. Topics raised were mostly the
same he's heard elsewhere in the state.
"I think by and large it's the same cross-section of addressing
fundamental concerns of healthcare and jobs," he said.
He said he and fellow Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden hope to work to highlight
Oregon as a state on the cutting edge of renewable energy technology.
--
I've been hoping that someone would step up and...make the sacrifices
necessary to get us on a path to a more livable future....I just
couldn't wait any longer for that someone...and had to accept the
fact that that someone might be me.
University of Utah student Tim DeChristopher, who, posing as a
bidder, disrupted a government auction of 150,000 acres of wilderness
for oil & gas drilling.
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