For these, you will have to get out of the house, mingle with the hoi polloi, and talk to strangers.

Schedule a Congressional visit

Congress is in recess right now, this week and next week. This does not mean they get to go on vacation, they’re supposed to be in their home districts working, ie meeting with their constituents. Call and ask if you can make an appointment to talk to your Representative [I know, I should have posted on this earlier]. If they’re not going to be available ask if you can meet with the staff member who is in charge of health policy [or maybe domestic policy if there’s nobody on staff specializing in health care issues].

You’ll need to take some information packets with you [leave more than copy with your rep or their staff]. PNHP has a nice collection of materials here, as well as a general description of how to conduct a congressional visit. Note: their how-to kit for this is aimed at groups. You don’t actually need to get a whole group together, though it’s more impressive if you do.

Some of the PNHP fact sheets that I particularly like [but use whatever you think you might need]:

1. Some people are talking about opening up FEHBP to everyone, why this is a bad idea
2. Many people seem to be in favor of the Massachusetts Plan, why this is a bad idea
3. A 1-page background on single payer and the state of US health care
4. We can’t afford single payer! debunking those myths
5. What HR 676 is and how it would work [5-page summary]
6. Text of HR 676 [111th Congress]

not a fact sheet, but here are some talking points for you to keep in mind and consider bringing up in your visit

and more.

Speak to a group

Rotary club, Sunday school, your knitting club or book club, your labor union, any local group that you have ties with [or for the really intrepid, any group, whether they know you or not]

Hold a Truth Hearing

This one can take some time and effort to put together, particularly if you are going to try to get your local media to cover your event. But if you want to try it, Healthcare-NOW! has all the goods.

Try to get your city to endorse HR 676

Show your mayor, city council, etc how single payer would save your city money on their employee benefits, especially important in bad economic times.

Try to get a local group to endorse HR 676

From PNHP

Remember, when you talk to all these people, to ask them to call/write/fax/email their congresscritters to tell them we want single payer!

part 1

part 4