Health Care: A Message from NETWORK

Congress is confused about what to do about healthcare reform legislation. If there was ever a time that they need, and want, to hear from you, their constituents, it is now.

We at NETWORK, in collaboration with many other faith groups and healthcare advocates, urge everyone to call your representatives and senators this week to tell them they need to finish the job of passing healthcare reform legislation.

You can use the toll-free number 1-888-797-8717, made available by the Faithful Reform in Health Care coalition.

It is important to focus on representatives in the House right now, since the House must pass the Senate bill. But senators also need to hear from you because representatives will want them to improve the bill.

Please call your representative's office now. Then call back two more times to get to your senators' offices. Then ask other people to make the calls, too. Call all your members of Congress, even if you don't think it will make a difference. It will.

Here are some things you can say:

As one pastor in Kansas put it: one election half-way across the country has done nothing to change the desperate need of children and families in our community for affordable healthcare.

We don't expect a perfect bill but we need legislation now to move us toward fixing our broken healthcare system.

• Without reform, tens of thousands will continue to needlessly die each year for lack of access to care.
• Without reform, tens of millions will remain uninsured and without adequate access to a full range of services.
• Without reform, health costs will continue to grow much faster than wages.
• Without reform, many millions of hard-working people and their children will join the ranks of the uninsured and underinsured.
• Without reform, businesses, staggered by increasing employee health costs, will either drop coverage or will be unable to make needed investments.
• Without reform, the nation's economy - and its ability to create jobs - will suffer.

Now is the time for political courage, vision, leadership and faith.

All members of Congress need to hear this message.

Call now, and call again every day this week, toll-free 1-888-797-8717.

After you make the calls to your senators and representative, you can also send them an e-mail via http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=14585151&type=ML

(a copy will go to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.)