Ask Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi about the future of health care: Thursday, Oct. 15 @BlogHer
by Lisa Stone

You're invited to join Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) in a telephone conference call about health care reform legislation at 8:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, Oct. 15. The first 20 BlogHers who sign up in the comments below will be sent call-in information. More details below.

It's a big week for this controversial legislation. Five health care reform bills are moving through Congress and today the Senate Finance Committee meets to take a final vote on their version, the most conservative of the bunch according to OpenCongress.org.

Speaker Pelosi herself sent three versions of H.R. 3200 to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis last week, stating as she did that "it's very clear from our conversations with the members that the votes are there for a public option." (Source: Capitol Briefing.)

The public option has been the speaker's rallying cry since July, when she said,

"The glory days are coming to an end for the health insurance industry in our country. I have said that their profits are obscene, they have increased enormously over the past few years at the expense of America's consumers. And that's why what's in it for the consumers in our bill is that no longer will an insurance company be able to withhold insurance because you have a pre-existing medical condition. No longer can they pull back or rescind your insurance if you get more ill. No longer will you lose your health ins if you lose your job, change jobs, start a business, be self-employed. You will still have health insurance and think of what that means for the vitality of our economy, so we can encourage entrepreneurship while people have the confidence that they will have health insurance and can take more risks."

This quote begins at one minute, twenty-nine seconds (01:29) into this YouTube video:

You're invited to sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to join us when BlogHer moderates a telephone conference call with Speaker Pelosi at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, 8:30 a.m. Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 15. Please add your name below and any blog URL if you have one (that's not required :). We'll be back in touch with the phone number and logistics. We have room for a group of 20 bloggers, who will join BlogHer's contributing editors from both sides of the aisle.

If you're unable to attend, no worries -- please leave your question in the comments below and we will try to ask for you.

This call is the fourth of BlogHer's bi-partisan series of telephone conference discussions to connect women bloggers directly with legislators, in partnership with the Sunlight Foundation and OpenCongress.org. You can hear audio and read transcripts of our discussions at the links below:

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash)

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

Rep. George Miller (D-Ca)

We hope you join us!

Best,
Lisa
for Elisa, Jory and Lisa
BlogHer Co-founders

Comments

 

Would love to!

 

In.  Dana LoeschBlogger,

In. 

 

Dana Loesch
Blogger, talk radio host, smart aleck

mamalogues.com

danaradio.com

 

Wouldn't Miss This One

For the WORLD.

I'll be there.

 

Wonderful news, PunditMom and Dana Loesch!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

This just in: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
backs health care bil

Per my NYTimes news alert:


"Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine indicated that she would
support the Finance Committee health care bill, although she
withheld support for future versions of the legislation. She
is the only Republican senator to have voiced support for the
bill."

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

 

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

Count me in

 

Great, looking forward to it Heather!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

Please sign me up

Also, FTR, I am glad she's right in her place. ;)

Julie Using My Words

 

Thanks Ravin!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

Poopy- I will be on a plane to Vegas

I will be on my way to BWE on Thursday but would like to know what the left feels they are gaining by giving in on the public option when the only conservative supporting the current plan before Congress is Snowe?

 

Thanks for these great conference call opps, BTW!

 

 

Melissa Smallwood

www.multitaskingmama.com

 

 

We'll miss you Melissa - safe travels

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

I would love to be a part of this!

I would love to be a part of this!

Danine Spencer

 

Some Additional Information on the Speaker

And where she stands on women and health care reform- you may want to take a look at:

 

Did You Know That Having Had A Pregnancy Is A “Pre-Existing” Medical Condition?

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=2011

 

Video from an event last week with Dem House women on health care:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH2foXEX8Fk

 

Women and Health Insurance Reform
http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=1909

 

Politics & News Contributing Editor Queen of Spain

 

Awesome! I definitely want to be there.

Yay, BlogHer!

 

karoli

odd time signatures (life)
bang the drum (politics)

 

Thanks Karoli!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

I'd love to!

I'm a political junkie and would be honored to participate!

www.faintstarlite.com

 

Thanks faintstarlite!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

Yes please

I very much want to participate.  And this time I won't forget because Heather won't let me.  Promise.

http://overflowingbrain.com

 

Thanks Overflowingbrain!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

Me!!!

I want to hear about the public option. I want it.

 

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak.

 

Thanks Rita!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

If there is still a slot

If there is still a slot available I MOST DEFINITELY would like to participate in this one!

 

Audrey from Barking Mad!

Contributing Editor at New England Mamas

 

Thanks Audrey!

Lisa Stone BlogHer Co-founder Surfette BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

 

If I counted right there's

If I counted right there's still room and I'd like to RSVP!

 

Diana

www.dianaprichard.com

 

Yes, yes, yes.

 

Count me in if there's still room

I was on three previous calls in this series and they were all excellent. I'd love to do this one too. Great job with these, BlogHer.

 

Yes, Please!

If there is still room, I would LOVE to be part of this call! 

 

Thanks!

 

http://journeytothesmallersideoflife.wordpress.com/

 

did I count right Me too

did I count right Me too please.

~Susan

http://lilmomthatcould.com/

http://authors

 

Moi aussi merci beaucoup.

Thanks for the opportunity!

Sarah Granger is the the Director of New Media for WomenCount and she writes for The Huffington Post, BlogHer, MOMocrats, SFGate, techPresident, and the Political Voices of Women.