Major reforms in 2009 start with passing Obama's budget

BUDGET BATTLE HEATS UP -- CALL CONGRESS!
The fight to pass President Obama’s budget is the key fight. If it doesn’t pass, everything else will become more difficult – which explains the opposition of the right wing and corporate pressure and an alternative proposal from conservative Democrats which does not include taxes on the wealthy for funding healthcare.

Call your Senators today, toll-free, 1-866-544-7573.

Below are two messages, from the United Food and Commercial Workers, and from AFSCME. Use them as is, forward the links, do what you can to mobilize others to call on Congress to pass the budget proposal from President Obama.

From the UFCW:
"This week, Congress is working to pass the President's budget. The President included $634 billion in the budget as a down payment on health care reform. Put simply, Congress must pass a budget that funds health care if we want to enact quality, affordable health care for all this year.

"Can you help us call other key Members of Congress to ask them to pass the budget?

"Key decision makers in Congress are still saying that they are not hearing a lot from their constituents about the budget. You can help by using this automated system to call community members in other states and patch them through to those critical targets in Congress.

"All Members of Congress need to know you voted for change in November and you mean it! It's time to make all voices heard and make sure President Obama's budget passes, so we can get our economy back on track and win quality, affordable health care for all in 2009."


And from AFSCME:
"President Obama promises big change. And from the looks of his new budget, he means it.

"But corporate special interests are twisting arms, spending millions on misleading ads and spreading lies and propaganda to stop his budget from being enacted. We've got to put relentless pressure on Congress, starting now.

"The Obama budget transforms our national priorities by putting regular Americans like you and your family first—the first time this has happened in a long time.

"An important part of President Obama's budget is a $630 billion investment in guaranteed health care for everyone. To pay for it, he'll cut back government hand-outs to private insurance companies and scale back tax write-offs for the rich (people making over $250,000 a year). This is huge, and we need to help make it happen."