In an interview with MSNBC this week, Senator Charles Grassley demonstrated that when it comes to health care reform he is choosing the Republican Party over his constituents in Iowa.
Over the past several months, the Senate Finance Committee, with Senator Grassley as its ranking Republican, has been working to produce a health care reform bill. With those negotiations likely to reach a conclusion in September, NBC reporter Chuck Todd and Senator Grassley had the following exchange:
Chuck Todd (NBC): "If you get what you want out of the Senate Finance Committee...are you willing to be just one of three or four Republicans while 36 or 37 including Senate Republican leadership as a whole are all being against it. Are you willing to be one of those three or four Republicans?"Charles Grassley: "Absolutely not. And I told the President that a week ago Thursday and I told (committee chairman) Max Baucus that over a period of three or four months....In fact, let me build on what you said, and why I say that I wouldn't be. I'm negotiating for Republicans."
This statement will come as a surprise to many of you who were counting on Senator Grassley to be their voice on health care reform not the Republican Party's.
Please follow this link to write Senator Grassley directly:
http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/uwork4us
Let him know that his party's political agenda should not come before fixing our broken health care system. If this reform effort fails, annual health care costs are projected to rise above $21,000 annually for average Iowa families. Remind Senator Grassley that he was elected to work for Iowa families, not for his Republican colleagues in Washington DC.
Again, please follow this link to write Senator Grassley:
http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/uwork4us
