Letter to My Senators

Dear Senators Cantwell and Murray

As your constituent, a fellow American, and citizen of the great state of Washington, I am writing to ask you to vote against any bill that will give the government increased control over healthcare and will lead to nationalized health care in the United States.

The documented accounts of rationing of medical services, long wait line for diagnosis and then longer wait lines for treatment, and inferior medical care cannot be ignored. In America, while our health care system may not perfect, we are able to choose our doctors, the doctors determine the best course of treatment for their patients, and there is no rationing of medical services. Additionally, in America, uninsured patients cannot be denied treatment in public hospital emergency rooms, so those uninsured patients are able to get the treatment they need in a timely manner.

On studying the matter, it seems to me that if, as is commonly stated, the American Health Care system is “broke” or in crisis, it is due to three factors:

1. Exorbitant medical malpractice insurance costs.
2. Onerous government-mandated administrative costs
3. The cost of providing medical assistance to the un- or under-insured.

I do not see how additional legislation on the matter can possibly help. We have decades of experience telling us that the Federal government cannot run a passenger railroad for profit; that it cannot run a brothel in Nevada, seized for non-payment of taxes, and turn enough of a profit to pay those taxes; and that the US Postal Service is a by-word of waste and inefficiency.

As a retired soldier, I can add to the list that my own experience with the Veterans’ Administration as a health care provider lends weight to concerns about the Federal Government’s role in this matter. “I have a bad cold, maybe the flu.” “We can see you in three weeks…” In fact, I have several co-workers who are also retired military, and their experience parallels mine: One was having such serious difficulty sleeping that she was regularly either late to work, or simply slept through her shift. When she went to the VA for an appointment to see a doctor about whether she had a medical cause for her sleep problems, she was told that she could have an appointment in six months, by which time she probably would have been fired.

As it is, countries with nationalized health care systems are sending patients to the USA for treatment that they either cannot get, do not qualify for, or would have to wait an inordinate length of time for; this should tell us that we are (so far!) doing something right.

If you insist on voting for government run health care, I implore you to do four things:

1. Read the bill and allow public input on the final bill for a minimum of 72 hours before voting.
2. Change your health insurance and your immediate family members’ health insurance to the new government run program. This should be a requirement in the bill for any and all elected officials and their staffs.
3. Vote against any bill that may lead to rationing of medical services, that will limit in any way the ability for a patient to choose his or her doctor, and that will cause longer wait times before diagnosis and before treatment.
4. Vote against any bill that will increase the cost of medical care through increased taxes, reduce competition of medical providers, and/or reduce competition of private sector health insurance.

I especially insist on point number one: The idea that any member of Congress finds the idea of reading bills before voting on them is giggle-inducing is extremely offensive, to say the least, and I can only hope that Congressman Hoyer’s constituents will make sure to make the point clear to him.

Will you make those four commitments to your voters and to the American taxpayers? If you will not make these four commitments, why won’t you? What stands in your way of making these promises to insure that the superior medical care in America is not compromised in anyway? Why would you vote for a bill and then be unwilling to live by its consequences as an example to your constituents?

Please answer these questions in a return mailing to me. I eagerly await your reply as the future of my physical well being now seems to be in your hands. Thank you!

I used the Tea Party Patriots' template for the "short form", found at the link, along with other material and resources.

By the way, did you know that "senator" shares the same root as "senile"? Those silly Romans conflated "age" and "wisdom"...