by Chris Nava, VP for Political Action

Senator Feinstein

The stage was set by OFA, Organizing for America, for a meeting at Senator Feinstein’s office as a lobbying effort on behalf of healthcare reform. I arrived at the Senator’s office to find a reception room full of like-minded citizens who were passionate about voicing their concerns. My heart sank when the staffer told us that she could only accommodate three or four of us. Driving all the way to downtown San Diego, finding that the best parking deal was $9.00 per hour, then finding out that I might not get to deliver my carefully crafted message was disconcerting, to say the least.

It became apparent that the Senator’s office has been inundated with lobbying groups, and that the way the staff deals with the overwhelming number of people wishing to be heard is by having a few represent the entire group. Fortunately the group was of one mind, and in fact there was such a spirit of unity of purpose among everyone there that they easily agreed on who should represent the group. Fortunately for me, I was one of those selected.

Our little group of four represented a senior gentleman, a Mexican doctor who had a horror tale to tell about how malpractice has left his thirty-something daughter an invalid with horrendous medical bills, a woman whose personal stories backed her plea for reform that includes public option, and myself. We found the Senator’s Aide, a young woman named Catherine, to be an excellent listener and well informed. All of us had a common message: we cannot afford not to reform healthcare. We support public option as necessary to keep the insurance companies in check.

My particular request in addition to these was a strong urging that Senator Feinstein take a stronger position and wield her influence for healthcare reform and public option, which the staffer told us she supports, but about which she has concerns. These concerns have to do with the negative impact public option may have on Medicare and Medicaid, and not surprisingly,  the cost of the plan. I reminded the group that as a very senior Senator, Feinstein holds a lot of power which she can be using to promote real reform but of which I did not see evidence. I urged that Senator Feinstein use a strong voice in decrying the myths, the lies, and the fear-mongering tactics coming from opponents of reform.

We were assured that the Senator does listen to her constituents and that she always answers her e-mails. E-mail yes, but in my experience letters hand-delivered do not always get a response. I urge everyone to keep sending e-mails and continue making phone calls to urge the Senator be a leader in speaking for real healthcare reform, and especially to support public option. Except for comments Senator Feinstein offered last June regarding the lack of Senate votes for public option there has not been much coming from the Senator on the subject.

Although not everyone was able to be part of the discussion in the Senator’s office, what happened in the reception room was quite remarkable, especially when just two days earlier seniors were kicked out of the Senator’s San Diego office for disorderly conduct. It turns out that while the four of us were in conference, the others waited and used the opportunity to discuss among themselves, creating a bond that acknowledged that we are all in this together.

The experience of personally lobbying our politicians cannot be overstated – an intangible feeling, yes, but an affirming one that gives us thumbs up for having done our civic duty.