The other night the House Rules Committee denied Barney Frank's amendment to strip out unnecessary F-22s from the Defense Authorization bill. We were really angry when we got the news, and we weren't the only ones: President Obama has announced that he might veto the entire authorization bill if the planes aren't taken out.

But there's another chance for our leaders to do the right thing - the Senate is taking up their version of the bill right now, and if they leave the planes out, we can avoid an ugly confrontation.

Email your Senator right now and demand that they keep these wasteful warplanes out of the bill - so the President doesn't have to.

Insurance companies and their lackeys in Congress claim that if we let Americans choose a public health insurance option, it will cut into their profits. After years of building an American health care system that's like a house on fire, their only strategy is to block the exits when help is near.

The good news is, they might be right. States across the country are already using public plans to drive down costs and expand access to healthcare2. Now, a movement of legislators from these states is mobilizing to tell Congress it's time to unify these local efforts into a national public option.

Ask your state legislators to endorse a public option, and demand health care for all NOW!

The full Pentagon budget hasn't even been drafted yet. But some members of Congress are already trying to slip billions of dollars of pork-barrel weapons projects - including C-17 transport planes the air force doesn't want - into the supplemental budget request for Iraq and Afghanistan.

We kept the extra spending out of the Senate version of the bill, but there's one more vote before Obama can sign off and we need Congress to keep this supplemental clear of pork-barrel spending. Help change America's priorities for good:

Tell Congress to pass the President's Supplemental, and hold the pork.

The industry knows the same thing we do, and they don't like it: the only way to make reform work for patients and payers is to allow the option of a public insurance plan. Obama has committed to that in the past, but insurance companies are trying to talk him out of his pledge with these promises to cut some unspecified costs, some years in the future. We need to have OUR say about that.

While we couldn't get into that room with the health industry lobbyists, we DO have access to the most widely-read public forum: the local newspaper.

Write a letter to your local paper that reminds Congress and the President that health care reform needs to work for us, and demand a public option.

Thanks to the thousands of you who participated in the Million Doors for Peace weekend! Reports are still flooding in, but here's a typical one: "Thanks for organizing this event and giving me the opportunity to participate! I enjoyed the experience (and) I appreciate the simplicity and organization of the event. Thanks for your hard work!"

This video from our partners at Connecticut Opposes the War gives the flavor of the day. If you weren't able to join us this time, be sure to sign the petition online, below:

http://www.MillionDoorsForPeace.org/