Historic: House passes health care reform, 220-215
For the first time in American history, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a universal health insurance program. (TPM has an excellent description of what's actually in the bill.) The vote was 220 in favor and 215 against (roll call). One Republican, Anh Cao (R-LA), joined 219 Democrats in voting for passage - including every Democratic member from Oregon. Here's the closing moments: There was one distressing note. By a vote of 240 to 194

Schrader To Vote In Favor Of HR3962
As the US House of Representatives draws closer to a vote on HR3962, the House version of the health care reform bill, Representative Kurt Schrader has announced he will vote in favor of the bill. Schrader explained his decision in a statement on his website: Today Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR) announced his support for H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. He released the following statement: “I am proud to have cast a historic vote today to overhaul America’s failing healthcare system to improve the healthcare of all Americans. This bill prohibits exclusions bas

Push Schrader off the fence: the trifecta
Update: 11:15AM: It would appear that even though the main office line isn't being answered, the internal staff lines are. Rep. Schrader's Legislative Director is Chris Huckleberry. His office number is [redacted -editor. Main number is 202-225-5711.]. If nothing else, you should be able to leave a voice mail. Update: 10:50AM: Well...well..well...here's an interesting turn of events. It seems that all of the Oregon Democratic delegation is answering their DC phones today, except Schrader's office. Wu, Blumenauer and DeFazio's offices all pick up when you call. Interesting constituent services, Congressman Schrader.

Small businesses in Oregon need health care reform
by Nancie Koerber of Central Point. Koerber started her career in sales more than 30 years ago. She has owned and operated a successful insurance agency, real estate brokerage and currently runs Champions Realtime Training in Central Point. I've just returned from a three day trip to Washington DC with 134 other small business owners from 25 states. We represented the Main Street Alliance—more locally the Oregon Small Business Council—and were there specifically for one reason: "To be heard" by our lawmakers on the issue of reforming our runaway health insurance industry. We wanted the following: 1. Costs that are affordable

The skinny kid at the end of the bench:getting it together for YES on M66/67
We are like the skinny kid sitting on the end of the bench on a basketball team when it comes to playing the game against millions of dollars flowing into Oregon to defeat Oregon's tax measures on the January ballot. We are not like the other team all lined up in neat rows of brass buttons and red coats fat with money for media buys, disinformation campaigns or linked the Chamber of Commerce and Freedom Works. We are not the establishment. We are like the Biblical story of David and Goliath. But if we play on Goliath's terms, Goliath wins. The more the Republicans scream and hold us in contempt the better because our position is not to raise our voices because we can make Goliath