WASHINGTON — Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., is among 10 GOP House members being targeted by robocalls this week by the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change.
The calls, which will go to 400,000 voters in the 10 districts, urge people to call the lawmakers and ask them to support the health insurance overhaul. The group also is targeting Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., with another 250,000 calls.
The group is trying to pressure Republicans facing tough re-election battles to support the pending health care legislation.
“(Terry) is happy to let the government pay for his health care, but last November, (Terry) voted against requiring that ordinary Americans be eligible to buy the same health insurance as Members of Congress,” according to the call. “(Terry) may enjoy being an important member of Congress, but when it comes to his health care he should be no better than the rest of us.”
Terry responded by saying:
“That's interesting since I introduced legislation to allow all Americans to have the same health care coverage as Members of Congress, but Speaker Pelosi blocked this legislation because she knew it would pass. People should call her office and ask why she blocked the Terry bill.”
Terry has proposed creating a system modeled after the federal employees' health benefits program. The uninsured would be able to purchase a variety of insurance plans with their own money through the new system.
The other side in the health care debate has its own plans to turn up the political pressure. A coalition of organizations led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to spend as much as $1 million a day on advertisements designed to push lawmakers to vote “no” on the health-care legislation.
This report includes material from Bloomberg.
