Nashville News Blog

Speaking of Jim Cooper being in the hot seat, Molly Secours is none too happy with the congressman. Secours, you may recall, barely avoided complete financial ruin during a recent bout with cancer, and was featured in the above press conference with Nancy Pelosi a couple of weeks ago.

Secours sent Pith a copy of a letter she sent to Cooper on Friday:

Dear Representative Cooper:

Last week I was invited to tell my story at a press conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about health care reform. I told them how devastating it is to fight a disease like cancer and how struggling with the debt as a result of inadequate health care adds to the indignities. I also shared avoiding foreclosure shouldn't take an act of Congress and how without your help, I may have lost my house.

After having spoken with numerous health care advocates in Washington and those who are dedicated to health care reform and fighting for real changes--many of whom have signed the letter below--I'm very disappointed in the actions of the Blue Dog Democrats. As you and I both know, if a public option is not included in this bill, millions will face physical and financial devastation. We hear conflicting reasons in the press every day as to the 'real reasons' Blue Dog Democrats are fighting against a public option and it saddens me. For that reason, I along with hundreds of thousands--maybe millions of others--must add my name to the list below.

Please Congressman Cooper, you have the power and the wherewithal to influence this decision and reform health care in America. It is a sad day when there is the political will to fund wars but not enough money so that all Americans might live with adequate health care. I am asking that you listen to your constituents and use your influence for the benefit of millions and for future generations to come. You will be rewarded and remembered.

With sincere gratitude,

Molly Secours

"The letter below" to which Molly refers was written by Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-California) and Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) and signed by dozens of other congresspeople. You can read it after the jump...

Dear Madam Speaker, Chairman Waxman, Chairman Rangel, and Chairman Miller:

We write to voice our opposition to the negotiated health care reform agreement under consideration in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

We regard the agreement reached by Chairman Waxman and several Blue Dog members of the Committee as fundamentally unacceptable. This agreement is not a step forward toward a good health care bill, but a large step backwards. Any bill that does not provide, at a minimum, for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates--not negotiated rates--is unacceptable. It would ensure higher costs for the public plan, and would do nothing to achieve the goal of "keeping insurance companies honest," and their rates down.

To offset the increased costs incurred by adopting the provisions advocated by the Blue Dog members of the committee, the agreement would reduce subsidies to low-and middle-income families, requiring them to pay a larger portion of their income for insurance premiums, and would impose an unfunded mandate on the states to pay for what were to have been Federal costs.

In short, this agreement will result in the public, both as insurance purchasers and as taxpayers, paying ever higher rates to insurance companies.

We simply cannot vote for such a proposal.

Lynn Woolsey

Raul Grijalva

Carolyn Kilpatrick

Jerry Nadler

Phil Hare

Lucille Roybal-Allard

Keith Ellison

Earl Blumenauer

Mel Watts

Donna Edwards

John Olver

Dennis Kucinich

Laura Richardson

Maxine Waters

John Conyers

Judy Chu

Maurice Hinchey

Hank Johnson

Diane Watson

Jackie Spier

Bill Pascrell

Lloyd Doggett

Marcy Kaptur

Mazie Hirono

Bob Filner

Linda Sanchez

Marcia Fudge

Barbara Lee

Andre Carson

Sheila Jackson Lee

Michael Honda

Jim McDermott

William Lacy Clay

Jim McGovern

Yvette Clarke

Eric Massa

Chellie Pingree

Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Elijah Cummings

Bennie Thompson

Gwen Moore

Donald Payne

Fortney "Pete" Stark

Ed Towns

Corrine Brown

Alcee Hastings

Nydia Valezquez

Luis Gutierrez

Grace Napolitano

Albio Sires

John Tierney

Mike Capuano

Chaka Fattah

Jose Serrano

SamFarr

Bill Delahunt

Eddie Bernice Johnson