U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner breaks down the fight over health care at an Energy and Commerce Hearing.

“If we do this right and we pass this bill, all Americans, even the very well-to-do, are going to pay less,” said Rep. Weiner.

In response to fear-mongering about government-sponsored healthcare, Rep. Weiner asks what private insurance companies do to make people healthier or save people money.

Health insurance companies operate the way they’re supposed to, they’re businesses.  They operate to make profits.  How do you make profits? By giving away as little and collecting as much as possible.  It’s the opposite of the imperative that we have as the representatives of the people.

Yesterday’s U.S. Senate vote to end funding for new and unnecessary F-22 fighter jets shows a new willingness among some members of Congress to examine wasteful Pentagon spending, despite the considerable amount of influence defense contractors wield, USAction said Tuesday.

Matt Holland, Pentagon Budget Campaign Director for USAction/TrueMajority, is quoted in The Nation’s blog, The Beat, speaking on the Senate defeat of the F-22s:

“‘Common sense wins out,’” declared Holland. “’Now we will see if House members get the message. The old ways are dead, and from here on out voters will be scrutinizing the Pentagon budget to scrub wasteful and obsolete weapons systems.’”

USAction/TrueMajority helped build the  “True Security” coalition, which is leading the way nationally in educating the public about wasteful defense spending in general and F-22 fighter jets in particular. Members of the coalition include VoteVets, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Common Cause, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Women’s Action for New Directions and other groups.

As part of their campaign to thoroughly examine military spending, USAction/True majority has released a new report, Putting the Pork out to Pasture, that profiles the web of connections between powerful weapons manufacturers and House appropriators.

Politico announced that stemming from this report, Truemajority.org will begin airing a radio ad today in the St. Petersburg, Florida district of Congress member C.W. Bill Young, who took more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from defense contractors and repeatedly did their bidding in a House defense subcommittee and on the House floor. Congressman Young is one of a handful of Representatives who write the FY10 Defense Appropriations bill, which includes the F-22.

The ad features Mike Burns – a former US Air Force pilot and POW who spent years in the same ‘Hanoi Hilton’ prison camp as Senator McCain – who calls on Congressman Young to reject his campaign contributors and vote to end the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Burns is a member of Florida Veterans for Common Sense, a group that works to bring responsibility and effectiveness to military decisions.

“This is one of the most worthless and unnecessary programs and we’ve spent 30 years dumping money into it,” Burns says in the ad, “I’m asking Congressman Young to vote against [the F-22]. Be a lion, not a gopher for Lockheed Martin.”

In addition to this ad campaign, USAction/TrueMajority’s half a million members have pledged to keep pressure on any member of Congress who continues to spend billions on weapons we do not need while lining their campaign war chests with money from weapons builders.

Yesterday’s vote to reject spending on F-22s is a step in the right direction towards investing in true national priorities and standing strong against “purveyors of pentagon pork” in Congress!

Representative Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) probably expected a smooth reception from constituents yesterday morning at a public event held in Kenilworth, Ill.  Instead, he was met by over 50 activists from Illinois Citizen Action (an affiliate of USAction) and Health Care for America Now holding their representative accountable and stressing the importance of health care reform, including a public option.  The activists chanted “Health Care Now” while sharing their personal struggles with each other and the media. 

When confronted by a constituent after the rally on why he won’t support a public option, Kirk reluctantly answered “we can’t afford to insure everyone.”  It’s interesting that Kirk fashions himself a champion of fiscal responsibility, considering that he voted for the 2001 $1.35 trillion Bush tax cuts and their extension in 2003, tax breaks for corporations to ship jobs overseas and the war in Iraq.  These votes seem to be indicative of Kirk’s priorities:  he values the interests of the wealthy, corporations and military industrial complex over the uninsured people in his district and around the country.

Rep. Kirk described himself as “a Republican reformer with a commitment to honor and integrity” who possesses “thoughtful, independent leadership.”  However, Kirk refuses to support reforming the broken health care system and step away from the party line.  Calling himself an independent reformer makes about as much sense as the posts on Chuck Grassley’s Twitter page.

This public demonstration coincides with Congress’ development of health care reform and mechanisms to finance it.  Both activists and public officials are on the brink of making monumental progress towards making health care more affordable and insuring almost 50 million Americans, and Representative Kirk is currently on the wrong side of history and his priorities are out of touch with the needs of the American people.  Because 72% of Americans favor a public option, it is extremely important to hold our elected officials accountable and let them know that the road to elective office runs through health care.

A new report - Putting the Pork out to Pasture- issued today by True Majority highlights the link between pork barrel defense projects and campaign contributions. The report shows connections between powerful weapons manufacturers and contributions to members of the House Appropriations Defense Sub-Committee.

The report documents that more than 18 members of the subcommittee have inserted more than $355 million in earmarks into the last defense spending bill on behalf of their campaign contributors. Those contributors, in turn, donated $1.3 million to members who sponsored their earmarks.

“It’s unconscionable that the public servants charged with spending our money to keep America safe appear to be trading billion-dollar weapons contracts for cold, hard campaign cash,” said Matt Holland, Pentagon Budget Campaign Director of USAction/TrueMajority.

The most recent example of the battle to eliminate funding for outdated weapons systems is ongoing in Congress. Despite a veto threat, Pentagon opposition, and serious reliability problems, Congress has repeatedly voted to spend between $500 million and $1.75 billion to keep manufacturing the F-22 fighter jet.

“Weapons like the F-22 do not make us safer, but they do make weapons manufacturers rich. And when those same corporations are spending millions of dollars on our Congress – the public has a right to know, and get outraged,” said Holland.

USAction/TrueMajority’s half a million members have pledged to keep pressure on the Appropriations Committee by running broadcast ads and bringing constituent pressure to bear in the home district of any member who continues to spend billions on unnecessary weapons while larding their campaign war chests with money from weapons builders.

To read the entire report click here.

An amendment to a military spending bill introduced Monday would remove $1.75 billion dollars of spending for an additional seven, excessively costly, F-22 Raptor fighter jets, and effectively terminate their production. Sen. John McCain (R.- Ariz) and Sen. Carl Levin’s (D- Mich.) amendment comes with the backing of President Obama, who declared he will veto the military spending bill unless funding for the F-22s is removed. 

Opposition to funding the F-22 program comes not only from politicians and their constituents, but from the military itself. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have all declared their support of terminating the F-22 fighter jet program. Mr. Donley and Gen. Schwartz explain that: “because of budgetary pressures, the F-22 decision “has increasingly become a zero-sum game,” and that therefore, ‘buying more F-22s means doing less of something else.’

The “budgetary pressures” which Mr. Donley and Gen. Schwartz refer to result from the extreme costliness of the F-22, which has never been flown in combat and was designed three decades ago to use in combat against the Soviet Union. The Washington Post describes that the F-22 currently confounds typical military spending trends in that,

“While most aircraft fleets become easier and less costly to repair as they mature, key maintenance trends for the F-22 have been negative in recent years, and on average from October last year to this May, just 55 percent of the deployed F-22 fleet has been available to fulfill missions guarding U.S. airspace, the Defense Department acknowledged this week.”

At present, the cost of producing the jet is $351 million and flying the jet for a single hour costs a ghastly $44,000!

Calls to cut funding for the F-22s have been complicated by some representatives’ concerns that cutting the F-22 program would result in unnecessary job losses for the 25,000 employees who manufacture F-22s. However, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates disputes the 25,000 employment figure, stating that, as planned, the F-22 program is currently figured to decline over the coming years to employ only 13,000 persons by the year 2011. Additionally, speaking to those who will lose their jobs if production of F-22s is terminated, Sen John McCain declares:

“Our sympathy is with them. We will do everything we can to provide job opportunities, including in the defense industries across this country. But we cannot argue that we should spend taxpayers’ dollars for weapons systems simply to create or keep jobs.”

A senate vote on the amendment is scheduled to come up shortly, so contact your Senators and urge them to stop funding on the wasteful F-22s and invest instead in America’s future! To send your Senator this handy F-22 hologram card as well, click here.

USAction, Citizens for Tax Justice and Wealth for the Common Good today praised a House Ways & Means proposal to apply a surcharge on the income of the wealthiest one percent of Americans.

USAction Program Director Alan Charney called the surcharge proposal “a game changer” and said identifying the savings proposed by President Obama and raising significant revenue will lower health care costs for American families.

“Investing in health care means investing in families: their health, their security, their overall well-being,” Charney said. “But for this to happen, the wealthiest Americans – those making up the top one percent of the income bracket – are going to have to pay their fair share. They must help shoulder the costs of paying for quality, affordable health care reform with a public health insurance option.”

The proposed bill would impose a 1% surtax on households earning above $350,000, rising to 1.5% for joint returns reporting incomes of $500,000 or more and 5.4% for households with incomes over $1 million.

Robert S. McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice, said

the proposed surcharge “would essentially ask the richest one percent of Americans to give back some of their Bush tax cuts. By the end of 2010, the richest one percent will have received $700 billion from the Bush tax cuts. The surcharge would be paid almost entirely by this group and would amount to $550 billion over the following decade.”

Citizens for Tax Justice on Tuesday released a new report that examines the policy implications of a surcharge on households with incomes over $350,000. The report includes comprehensive, state-by-state information stating the average impact on taxpayers at different income levels.

In Alabama, for example, only 0.9 percent of the state’s population would pay the surcharge. Nationally, the surcharge would raise $540-$550 billion to fund quality, affordable health care for all, including a public health insurance option.

Chuck Collins, co-founder, Wealth for the Common Good, said

the “urgent need to revamp our health care system has been slowed by the lack of a plan to finance it. The proposed surcharge would greatly reverse some of the most regressive elements of our federal taxes and fix our broken health system.”

“Medical care should be a basic right,” added Eric Schoenberg, a former partner in a New York City investment bank and member of Wealth for the Common Good.

“Wealthy people have benefited enormously from economic growth during the past 30 years. It is only fair that those of us who have benefited the most support a fair and equitable system moving forward.”

Health care reform is arguably the most important issue facing America today. Due to the inadequacy of current revenue, among the most contentious facets of reform is how to raise sufficient revenues to fund a robust public option. Today, Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) jointly released a report with USAction and SEIU entitled, Two Proposals to Pay for Health Care Reform: Impacts on People in Your State. The report entails a state-by-state analysis of how to pay for health care without hurting the middle class by expanding the Medicare tax and limiting itemized deductions.

First, the report advocates expanding the Medicare tax by applying it to investment income as well as earned income. Therefore, wealthy people who do not work would be forced to pay taxes on their stocks and other assets as well as their income just like middle class Americans (this includes Paris Hilton and it’s probably fair to say that going clubbing and keeping gossip columnists in business are not considered jobs). This proposal is estimated to raise $40.5 billion in 2011 and $500 billion over ten years.

Second, the report advocates limiting itemized deductions for the wealthy. These deductions are currently subsidized at higher rates for the rich and CTJ is advocating for President Obama’s plan to limit their itemized deductions to 28%. While very few people would have a tax increase (less than 1% of the population in most states), this proposal is expected to raise $20 billion in 2011 and $260 billion over ten years. While some right-wing naysayers would have you believe that this will negatively impact charities, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that this will only reduce charitable giving by less than 2%. Furthermore, non-profit organizations would reap the benefits of the proposal if the revenue was used to fund health care reform and alleviate some of their financial burden.

The fight for progressively funding health care is expanding outside of the beltway and into the grassroots. Along with affiliates of ACORN, SEIU and other organizations, USAction affiliates around the country are doing their own releases of the report and engaging activists in every state in the country.

USAction, CTJ and SEIU are all members of Rebuild and Renew America Now, a coalition of almost 70 national organizations and over 600 state and local organizations that advocate for responsible and fair revenue options to fund health care and other domestic priorities.

Closing tax loopholes for the wealthy is an integral component of raising adequate revenue for a public health care option. With the facts on our side and activists motivated and engaged, we are ready to move full steam ahead and ensure quality, affordable health care for all.

In the fight for a strong public health insurance option, the support of moderate Republican Senators is crucial. That’s why the two Republican Senators from Maine faced a storm of activists when returning to their state for Fourth of July celebrations.

Last Saturday, hundreds of people attended rallies across Maine in support of a public option. The rallies held in Bangor, Portland and Augusta were organized by Health Care for America Now and Maine People’s Alliance, an affiliate of USAction.

Maine People’s Alliance has taken direct action during the Fourth of July Congressional recess, making over 678 phone calls and sending 300 postcards to Senator Olympia Snowe’s office.

The two Republican senators from Maine were among those targeted, The New York Times reports. “Here in Maine, home to Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins, moderate Republicans who could provide crucial support for the Democratic health care plan expected to emerge in the coming weeks; efforts to sway their votes — and to sweep average citizens into the debate — were intense.”

The article went on to say, “Ms. Snowe is the only Senate Republican so far to back a public option, and much of the grassroots campaigning in Maine has focused on solidifying her support.”

“So many people are being priced out of the private market,” said Lisa McSwain, who runs a steeple restoration company in Edgecomb. “In my community, where so many people are self-employed, everyone wants a public option.” This makes the grassroots organizing work of Maine People’s Alliance critical. They are dedicated to helping elected officials better understand the communities they represent.

The demonstration in Augusta was held in front of the Capitol Street offices of health insurer Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

“The cost of health care is tipping family budgets over the edge,” the Rev. Virgil Bozeman, of the South Parish Congregational Church in Augusta, told demonstrators.”It’s important that we bring fairness back into health care, and that’s why we need a public option.””

This type of grassroots mobilization is vital to our democracy, and the work of Maine People’s Alliance is critical to ensuring quality affordable health care for all.

Last Thursday, ten thousand people from around the country came to Upper Senate Park in Washington, DC to rally in support of a public option for health care.  The rally was organized by Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and its partners, including USAction.   USAction affiliates, other community  organizers and union activists were treated to speeches from Edie Falco (yes, THAT Edie Falco), Dr. Howard Dean, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative Allyson Schwartz and a host of other members of congress.   The rally was closed out by USAction President William McNary, who gave an incredible speech and really revved up the crowd (be sure to check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP4uMs8ZXrE).  Perhaps one of the most compelling parts of the day was listening to the personal stories about struggles with the health care system.  Doctors, nurses and ordinary Americans spoke about the need for a public option and why “we can’t wait.”

The rally was followed by a series of lobby visits and town hall meetings where people voiced their support for a public option to their members of Congress.  Many of these meetings yielded positive results.  At the Pennsylvania town hall, for example, Senator Arlen Specter, came out in support of a public option in front of activists from Penn Action and other organizations.  Additionally, Illinois Citizen Action signed Representative Daniel Lipinski, Representative Bobby Rush and Senator Roland Burris on to the HCAN statement of principles.

USAction is proud to have been an integral part of the events and contribute to its successes. USAction affiliates turned out over 1,700 people from 22 states.  These activists traveled great distances and braved the heat (and sunburns) to show support for a cause that means so much to all of us.

For the tens of millions of Americans without quality, affordable health care along with their supporters, last Thursday’s rally and lobby day was the culmination of a groundswell of support years in the making.    USAction Communications Director, David Elliot, summed up the day quite well when he said,

Every year or so we have large rallies and marches in DC and they’re usually either against the war, for or against reproductive choice or for or against GLBT rights.  Never in the history of the United States have 10,000 people come together to mobilize around health care.

Indeed, while June 25, 2009 may not be written in the history books, this is an incredible turning point and our predecessors would be proud.