Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:This Is Only The Beginning

[cal04]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/30/852407/-This-Is-Only-The-Beginning

What a historic week it's been.

While the health care reform fight hasn't been easy and while the final bill may not be perfect, I can't tell you how proud I've been to be in the Senate during this historic time and to have been able to help deliver access to affordable care for millions of Americans who don't currently have it. This is what the American people put Democrats in charge to do and we've achieved something extraordinary.

And I know we couldn't have done it without you.

Last May, in one of my first posts here at DailyKos, I wrote about my support for the public option. It would be the first of several posts I'd write on the topic, including last October when I came back to thank you for all you've done to get us as far as we'd come. Since then we've had setbacks, including the stripping of the public option from the final bill and the loss of a Senate seat -- but you never gave up. You kept up the pressure, hitting back against the claims by Republicans and the media that reconciliation was some sort of unprecedented procedure in the Senate. And then even after it was clear that the final bill would be less than we had all hoped, you still rallied around it and inspired the millions who read you to call their representatives in support of this important legislation.

So, after this historic week, I knew I had to come back to post once again to thank you for everything you've done to get us over the finish line and to assure you...this bill is only the beginning.

I know you, like me, were all moved by the story of Natoma Canfield, who famously said on Countdown recently:

"Well, it just seems to me that everything needs a start"

And that's precisely what we've done.

This bill will end the insurance company practices of recission and denial of care to those with pre-existing conditions.

This bill will create an exchange where people without health insurance can purchase affordable coverage according to their income.

This bill will subsidize preventive care so that illnesses and conditions can be caught before they're life threatening.

In short, this bill will save lives. It was an important first step.

But we are not done. I pledge to you that I will continue to fight for a public option and a "Medicare for All" plan. There's an effort underway to have an up or down vote on one this year and I will whole-heartedly support that.

I also will not give up fighting for the idea that I've long favored, which is to allow all Americans to buy into Medicare at a percentage of their income. At the very least, we should expand eligibility to age 55 so that Americans who are approaching retirement don't have to live in fear of losing their job just as their likelihood of developing terminal illnesses increases.

So, there is much to celebrate and much more work to do. What we've achieved is monumental and is something that Democrats have been fighting for for generations. But our fight is not done.

Thanks so much!

P.S. If you're not already, please become a fan of mine on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. Thanks!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Interesting. Did she just pretend to be conservative so she would get elected upstate?

[Beetwasher]

3. I Think So

But who knows. She's been quite the pleasant surprise though and I find myself becoming quite fond of her. Maybe the one bright shining thing that Patterson did.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. She was painted that way by those who thought Caroline

should be given the seat as a gift. She's far more supportive of equal rights for all than say, the President, who opposes equality.

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. IMO she's pretending to be a liberal to get elected downstate.

I hope I am wrong though.

[msongs]

2. sounds like she's been chatting with that liberal progressive alan grayson lol nt