Below is a letter ACT NOW sent to Michael E. McMahon on Friday, March 19th, reminding him of the urgent calls of his constituents, who signed over 800 letters in support of health care reform in the fall. These letters were collected by our volunteers at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and were sent in bulk to McMahon’s office. We spoke to Congressman McMahon after he cast his vote against health care reform, and he shared his reasons, many of which related to potential costs of reform. We felt it imperative to contact him again, after the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the current House bill would save $138 billion over the next decade.

This letter is addressed to Congressman McMahon’s chief of staff, Chris McCannell, and was penned by Board member Lenny Braman, who led our health care campaign.

Dear Chris,

I hope you are well.  We spoke on the phone last fall about healthcare reform, when my organization ACT NOW gathered over 800 letters from constituents of Rep. McMahon urging him to support real healthcare reform, including a public option.  Rep. McMahon and I had a productive conversation when he called me to discuss the reasons that he had voted no on the House healthcare bill at that time, but affirmed his commitment to healthcare reform.

On behalf of so many of Rep. McMahon’s constituents who have personally told us how important this issue is to them, allow me and ACT NOW to add our voices to the chorus urging the Congressman to vote yes on the historic vote that is approaching this weekend.  We know that Rep. McMahon was concerned about the cost of healthcare reform, and so he should be heartened by the CBO’s estimate that the current House bill would save $138 billion over the next decade while expanding coverage to 32 million uninsured.

If we are to achieve meaningful healthcare reform in the foreseeable future, this bill is our last, best shot.  Liberals, conservatives, and moderates have all worked hard and made compromises to bring this bill as far as it has come.  No bill can have everything everyone wants — as you know, ACT NOW advocated vigorously for a public health insurance option, which is no longer in the bill.  Nevertheless, our group has joined the overwhelming number of groups, elected officials, and ordinary Americans who desperately want this bill to pass because it will finally mean reform:  covering millions of uninsured, protecting consumers from deceptive insurance practices, and controlling the spiraling costs of healthcare.  If Rep. McMahon is truly committed to the healthcare reform that is so desperately needed — and we believe he is — then he will join his colleagues in voting for this historic and necessary reform this weekend.

Thank you very much,
Lenny Braman & the Board of ACT NOW