11/10: Our Trip to Washington
Posted by Editor on November 10, 2009 · 3 Comments
By Judy and Steve Morris
Hi everyone! Sure our DC trip cost some money…..Sure it required a plane….Sure it required four days in a hotel…….But we are so happy we went. It was one of the best things we ever did!
What started as a casual request by Rep. Michel Bachmann five days before, turned into 50,000 (yes, 50,000) patriots in front of the Capitol last Thursday. The speeches by many of the Republican Congressmen were probably too long, but they needed our support to give them the courage to continue. So many of us from New York were there, even though one of our buses broke down….flat tire and all…they arrived late, of course, and could only stay for two hours before returning to NY. How fabulous were they??
We expected the vote on Friday, but it was postponed until Saturday. So on Friday, we “visited” 20 offices of the BlueDog Congressmen. Up and down the halls of the 3 Congressional office buildings we went, pleading our case to the very young Congressional staffers. One, who was constantly smirking as we spoke, told us he was more interested in what he was having for lunch than in listening to our objections to the health care bill. When we complained to another that illegals — who had broken the law entering our country — would be covered in the plan, he told us that they should be covered since we already provide health care for prisoners.
When we told our own Congressman (in person) that the plan would end up costing much more than anticipated, he told us not to worry about it as that’s in the future. He gave the same answer when we told him that we feared a government option would lead to a single payer system. He was more interested in showing us his grandchildren’s pictures and his wife’s needlepoint than he was in listening to our opinions.
What started as a one day rally in DC, was now two days, eventually turning into four!! Saturday finally arrived and we were in the House Gallery at 9 a.m. only to be told that we could only stay for 30 minutes at a time. We had to leave, get back in line, and go through security for another 30 minute stay. Nothing was going to stop us!! We did this many, many times during the day. If you got out of your seats for a bathroom or food break, you had to start the whole procedure all over again. We had no choice but to follow Nancy’s rules — although the Galleries were only 1/4 full at times, they kept making us leave and start again.
Some observations…..our rally on Thursday was called radical fear-mongering on the floor of the Congress by many Democrats. We were called patriots and the “silent no more” majority by the Republicans. One of us was told to take off his Air Force-Vietnam Veteran hat, while a group of pro-Obamacare activists sat wearing their matching T-shirts and hats with their insignia on them. They told us that men couldn’t wear hats, while women could.
At 8 p.m. with no vote in sight, we left for dinner. We hadn’t eaten since 9 a.m. and were starving. We were exhausted and decided to watch the vote on our TV in the hotel. Although we could have returned to the House Gallery, we decided that it would have been too painful to watch the vote in person.
Yes we lost the vote, but we don’t lose the faith! Yes, we lost this battle, but we will win the war!! 39 Democrats voted with us!! The Republicans stayed united (with only one turncoat, who it is reported, was given a personal bribe of some special pork for his district on Saturday afternoon when he met with President Obama).
The feeling in D.C. was that we are really a major factor now and that we must be listened to. Congressmen Eric Cantor, Dr. Tom Price, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Boehner and many other Republicans really tried so hard, made strong statements on the floor of the House and behaved in a distinguished manner, except for the one who carried his granddaughter to the podium when he made his statement. We visited most of the Republican’s offices and they were very gracious to us.
The fight now moves onto the Senate. Please call all of the Senators as many times as you can. Tell them to vote NO on cloture and NO on the public option. We will be returning to D.C. before the vote in the Senate which may come before Christmas or slightly afterwards. If any of you would want to join us as a group, please let us know. We must all have the courage to speak out and stand up for our opinions and face the people who vote for our laws. The strongest thing we can do is to look them straight in the eye and tell them how we feel. We have the power of the vote and we can work hard to make sure that anyone who votes for this bill will never be re-elected again.
-Judy and Steve Morris
Why is my congressman Marsha Blackburn speaking at tea partys? She is PART of the Problem.
Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR:
Omnibus Appropriations, Special Education, Global AIDS Initiative, Job Training, Unemployment Benefits, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Agriculture Appropriations, U.S.-Singapore Trade, U.S.-Chile Trade, Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan, Prescription Drug Benefit, Child Nutrition Programs, Surface Transportation, Job Training and Worker Services, Agriculture Appropriations, Foreign Aid, Vocational/Technical Training, Supplemental Appropriations, UN “Reforms.” Patriot Act Reauthorization, CAFTA, Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations, Head Start Funding, Line-item Rescission, Oman Trade Agreement, Military Tribunals, Electronic Surveillance, Head Start Funding, COPS Funding, Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID), Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Thought Crimes “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, Peru Free Trade Agreement, Economic Stimulus, Farm Bill (Veto Override), Warrantless Searches, Employee Verification Program, Body Imaging Screening.
Marsha Blackburn Voted AGAINST:
Ban on UN Contributions, eliminate Millennium Challenge Account, WTO Withdrawal, UN Dues Decrease, Defunding the NAIS, Iran Military Operations defunding Iraq Troop Withdrawal, congress authorization of Iran Military Operations.
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://tinyurl.com/qhayna
Mickey
Wow. You chew her up for her right leaners and her left leaners. Sounds like you are either a religious fanatic or Marsha whupped you in an election or something. Don’t worry soon Marsha will be purged from the party as a “radical moderate”. Then people like you can run in her place and scare every centist, moderate and secular voter in to the arms of the Democrats. The John Birch society tried this sort of purging of the GOP in the early 60’s, go see how that worked out. I’ve been a registered Republican since 1972, but I won’t vote for right-wing nutjobs.
Judy & Steve are true Americans. If there is a Tea Party Patriot award anywhere out there they deserve one. Judy & Steve will go anywhere and do what they have to help keep our country free from tyranny. THANKS AGAIN JUDY & STEVE.