Thursday, November 5, 2009

Sit-in at Leiberman's office highlight's senator's industry ties

This morning, eight people from Mobilization For Health Care for All are sitting-in the office of Sen. Joseph Lieberman demanding that he stop taking money from the insurance industry.

In their statement, the group notes that "massive campaign donations and lobbying spending of the insurance industry is blocking real reform that would provide everyone in America with access to health care. When 45,000 people are dying annually due to lack of health care it is a moral imperative that America act now to provide health care to all. We are able to do this for senior citizens, why not for all Americans?"

They ask that people call Senator Lieberman's office and tell him to stop taking insurance money. His numbers are: (202) 224-4041 and (860)549-8463. There is also an online petition asking him to forgo insurance industry donations.

Leiberman is certainly not the only legislator to be heavily funded by for-profit groups with a strong stake in preserving as much of the health care status quo as possible--or ensuring that individual mandates are based on government subsidies for private health insurance plans, not a more economical and equitable single payer system. You can explore OpenSecrets.org to see what's funding your legislators, too.

Finally, bail money donations and help with general funding for the Mobilization are especially welcome. In the last month, thousands of people have signed up to participate or support sit-ins, with more than 920 willing to risk arrest. By the time the House votes on its health care package, the Mobilization will have held 32 sit-ins in 28 different cities with more than 150 arrests and over 220 risking arrest.

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