While no votes were cast on health care reform this week, there wasn't a dull moment on the Hill. In case you missed it, here's a list of this week's major developments:

1. The CBO came out with a final scoring of the Senate Finance health care reform bill and concluded that it will reduce the deficit by $81 billion over the next decade. While Democrats cheered the fact that the bill came in way under President Obama's $900 billion cap, Republicans were still not pleased. Makes you wonder exactly what will get them to vote for health care reform.
2. Nine female Senators stole the show on the Senate floor when they delivered powerful back-to-back speeches about women's health care. Their male Democratic colleagues counterparts responded with rousing support, in stark contrast to their Republican counterparts.
3. More and more GOPers have thrown their weight behind health care reform, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, and President George W. Bush's Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Perhaps the Republicans in Congress will come around soon as well?
4. 30 Democratic Senators sent a letter to Harry Reid supporting the public option, including Sen. Specter. While that's still not a majority of all Senators, it's clear that the public option is still alive and kicking in the Senate.
5. Sen. Baucus picks a date: October 13. That's when the Senate Finance Committee will vote on their final bill. Took them long enough!

If you thought that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter's change from a Republican to a Democrat meant an automatic endorsement from labor unions for his 2010 election...think again.

In the memo SEIU President Andy Stern sent to Pennsylvania members late last week, he affirmed that we will maintain our ramped-up efforts to reach out to the Senator and let our concerns be known on the need for reform to our nation's labor laws: allowing workers, not employers, to choose how and when to form a union; enforcing real penalties for employers who break the law; and ensuring that those who've chosen a union can actually secure a contract.

From Stern:

SEIU has always been an organization that supports candidates and elected officials based on their commitment to working families, not their party labels.

The issues that face working people in Pennsylvania have not changed, and the support we need from our representatives in Congress hasn't changed, either.

We know there have been contradictory and confusing reports about what Senator Specter's decision means for the priorities of working families in our state. In a word: our fight for Employee Free Choice and quality, affordable healthcare continues, as strong as ever. (Read Stern's memo here)

After Specter's party-switch announcement last week, we asked you to write him a note telling him what you think, and what you expect of him as your senator now that he's a Democrat. SEIU's Raf Noboa has a great round-up of some of your letters to him. Here are just a few:

B.C.:

R. S.:

P. L., Allegheny County:

T.F., Allegheny County:

J. R., Erie:

As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority--but just in case he needed a reminder, SEIU members delivered these letters (plus hundreds more) to Specter's office this weekend, to reiterate to him why Pennsylvania's working families need his support on the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform.

Please take a moment and write to Senator Specter today--he needs to hear from you.

You probably saw the big news earlier this week. In case you didn't, here it is.

Senator Arlen Specter joined hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have left the Republican Party and announced that he would become a Democrat. In the past, he's risen above above partisanship to support working people - and we've worked with him on many important issues.

Arlen Specter needs to hear from you now. Pennsylvania's working families need his support on the Employee Free Choice Act and Health Care Reform. I'm going to one of his offices tomorrow with some of our SEIU members and we'll make sure he hears from you.

Click here to write a note to Senator Specter about why we need him to support the Employee Free Choice Act and healthcare reform. We'll make sure he gets it tomorrow.

Even though Senator Specter is now a Democrat, we expect him to support Pennsylvania's working families in the same way he has throughout his career as a Republican. The issues that face working people in Pennsylvania have not changed, and the support we need from our representatives in Congress hasn't changed, either.

Senator Specter will now be able to vote his conscience on the important issues. He did so in voting for President Obama's economic stimulus program, and we hope he'll do so on other critical issues facing our country: reforming our broken healthcare system and giving employees the free choice to join unions.

Senator Specter needs to hear from you by tomorrow. Tell him that Pennsylvanians need him to support the Employee Free Choice Act and healthcare reform.

As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority. Thanks for taking the time to write to him. We'll let you know how our delivery goes next week.

Statement from SEIU President Andy Stern on Senator Specter's announcement that he is switching political parties to become a Democrat:

"It's clear to us that the right-wing conservatives in control of the leadership of the Republican party in Pennsylvania left Senator Specter long ago and we are pleased that he has decided to do the same. Just as he did with his leadership on the economic stimulus bill, Senator Specter has once again demonstrated the political courage it takes to put the interests of the working families of Pennsylvania ahead of partisanship. We have always had tremendous common ground with Senator Specter on issues important to working families including the need for reform to our nation's labor laws. We look forward to continuing our long history of working with Senator Specter to create positive change for the working families of Pennsylvania."