The Single Payer Health Care bill HR676 will be debated on the floor of the House of Representatives when the Reps come back from the August recess.  This is the first time the concept of single payer health care has gotten out of committee in either house of Congress.

Henry Waxman (D-California), the chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee managed to use the amendment proposed by Anthony Weiner (D-New York) as a lever to force Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to agree to allow debate and vote on HR676 in exchange for the Energy and Commerce committee committing to a compromise bill (HR 3200) hammered out by Waxman that includes a “robust” public option and is the most up-to-date and detailed of three health-care reform bills backed by different  committees in both houses of Congress, but is still much more expensive and less effective than HR 676 which will now be debated and voted on in its own right.

Read more about this:  from The American Chronicle ;  from The Nation ;  from AllGov ; from The Public Record

Between now and the time Congress re-convenes in September, there will be intense advertising and media pressure to water down even the compromise bills.  This is the time for us to ratchet up our activity and demand the health care reform we really want - Universal Public Health Care.

Nay-sayers have been saying Single-Payer will not be on the table in this Congress and that we would have to settle for one of the compromise bills. They were wrong.  They are still saying HR 676 will never pass and that this is just a way to placate the left wing of the party.  Only loud, persistent advocacy from citizens across the nation have brought it this far.  Only louder, more tenacious advocacy will push it the rest of the way.

Call Rep Rehberg (202) 225-3211  and ask him to vote for HR 676

Take the time to attend rallies for HR 676 and other actions.