Five Reasons To Be Thankful

Dear Policy Patriots -

The battle over health care reform is far from over! Don't be deceived by the backslapping, high-fiving and TV posturing of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his colleagues. Right now, they don't have 60 votes to pass anything - and YOU are the reason why!

In less than six weeks, you and other NCPA Policy Patriots have sent almost 300,000 letters to Congress in opposition to government-run health care. In California, Sens. Boxer and Feinstein have received more than 13,000 of your letters. In Nevada, Sen. Reid has gotten 750 letters. Your voice is making a difference in the health care debate!

KEEP FIGHTING BACK! Americans deserve better than a health care system that values the interests of the government over the interests of the patient! Tell your Congressional representatives why you oppose government-run health care by sending them an email. And follow up as often as you like. Just go to:

http://www.capitolconnect.com/freeourhealthcarenow/

Within the last week, we've learned a lot more about why your messages to Congress are so important. Advocates of government-run health care think that Americans get too many mammograms, too many Pap smears and too much end-of-life care. Their solution to the problem: deny patients care.

What the reformers don't mention: the United States is number one in cancer survival rates around the world. Screening is saving lives.

5 Reasons to be Thankful this Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for, including the following:

1. ObamaCare Less Popular than Ever Before. According to a recent Rasmussen Report, only 38% of voters now favor ObamaCare. Support for ObamaCare is down nine percentage points from last week and support is lower now than it has ever been. The consistent reality has been that as Americans learn more about current health care proposals, their support for ObamaCare diminishes and their opposition rises.
2. Independent Voters Oppose ObamaCare. ObamaCare isn't just dividing Republicans from Democrats, it's dividing Independents from Democrats. ObamaCare is not only opposed by 83% of Republicans, it's opposed by 70% of unaffiliated voters. That's up 10% from August. As members of Congress head home for the holidays, the electoral reality will begin to take hold in their minds: most Americans don't support ObamaCare.
3. Seniors Oppose ObamaCare Almost 2-to-1. Despite the endorsement of AARP, most seniors aren't fooled. 60% of America's senior citizens oppose ObamaCare; only 34% support it. It's easy to understand why: ObamaCare will limit access and reduce quality for those Americans who most highly value accessible, high-quality health care.
4. More than 2/3 of Americans like their Current Coverage. According to The Wall Street Journal, 68% of American voters have health insurance coverage they rate good or excellent; 74% of voters rate the quality of care they now receive the same way. It's no surprise, therefore, that as Americans discover that ObamaCare will force them to change their coverage, they oppose it.
5. Harry Reid's Struggle to Thread ObamaCare through Congress. While the Senate Majority Leader successfully managed to get 60 senators to agree to have a debate, it is far from certain that he can produce 60 votes for ObamaCare. Consider that:

Senator Joe Lieberman has declared his unwavering opposition to the public option currently contained in Senate proposals. As he told The Wall Street Journal, "I'm going to be stubborn on this."

Meanwhile, Senators Sanders, Burris, Brown and Franken have also promised to be "stubborn." They have pledged to break ranks with other Democrats if a public option isn't part of health care legislation.

And lastly, in the classic style of All the Kings Men, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu isn't stubborn, but she is costly. Her vote for ObamaCare-now known in Washington as "The Louisiana Purchase"-cost $300 million in pork, and we'll have to pay for it. At that price, Harry Reid can't afford to purchase all the Congressional support ObamaCare needs.

Unfortunately, the advocates of ObamaCare just don't get it. As a recent quote in Real Clear Politics, makes clear:

"Everyone agrees that the nation is on an unsustainable fiscal path. So Democrats will add a $2.5 trillion entitlement to hurry us further along the path. Tax hikes that could go to reducing the deficit [and]... Medicare cuts that could shore up Medicare's own shaky finances, they'll plow into entitlement...For all of this, ObamaCare will still leave 24 million people without health insurance."

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! In 1620, a group of now-famous Americans left their homes and endured great hardships in search of a better life. Today, millions of people still come to America, still in search of a better life. As U.S. citizens, they enjoy access to the highest quality medicine and the best-trained, most experienced doctors in the world.

When you fight alongside us, you're not only fighting for your health care. You're fighting for their health care, too.

The NCPA maintains a wealth of educational and resource material including better alternatives to government-run health care:

John Goodman's Health Care Plan:
http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/health_plan112007.pdf

Health Care Solutions:
http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/Health_Care_Solutions_072909.pdf

Five Steps to a Better Health Care System:
http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/Five_Steps_to_a_Better_Health_Care_System_Web.pdf

Dr. John Goodman's Blog - Current, up-to date information on the debate:
www.john-goodman-blog.com

Heartland Institute's Health Care Solutions:
http://www.chcchoices.org

Thank you again for your support and for fighting against government-run health care. This is a fight worth fighting, and it's still a fight we can win!

Warm regards,

Jeanette Nordstrom
National Center for Policy Analysis
www.ncpa.org