The Liberty Tree Lantern

NBC, CNN, FOX News and many other media outlets were on hand and they were stunned.  Congressman Tom Price (GA) an emerging free market leader in Congress was there with a number of members of the House of Representatives.  Click here for coverage.

Congressman Price told me they’ve felt for days now the energy and momentum generated by you against this terrible legislation.  His last message to you, “Tell them not to give up and to keep up the pressure.” 

Last night, we had the largest tele-town hall meeting we’ve ever had at Americans for Prosperity.  The final number of folks joining Congressman Eric Cantor (Republican Whip in the House) and Steve Moore (editorial page writer at the Wall Street Journal) was just over 12,000! Congressman Cantor thanked you for your dedicated efforts and he briefed us on the latest outrage to come to light from the legislation.

The final legislation practically guts the historic welfare reforms of 1996.  The final Pelosi\Reid\Obama bill

* spends $264 billion on direct welfare payments in first 2 years, and:

*goes back to the old welfare rules that actually pay states bonuses to increase their welfare roles. 

Think about it, if this bill passes we go back to the old wasteful, soul-killing, family destroying welfare system that it took us decades to end.  Robert Rector dissects the entire thing in his insightful study on Heritage.org. 

Sens. Specter (PA), Collins (ME), and Snowe (ME) are the three key swing Republicans that we should focus on.  Senator Specter said on Fox News that he DIDN’T KNOW the health care provisions that set us on the path to government rationing were in the bill.  He said he would get them out or oppose the bill but THEY ARE STILL IN.  We have to tell him to keep his word.  Info on these dangerous provisions is at NoStimulus.com. 

Sen. Collins said over and over again that she would not accept increases in the spending levels from her “compromise” deal reached early this week, especially in the area of state aid for school construction which is a dangerous expansion in the federal role in education and a bailout for states and cities that need to get their fiscal houses in order.  MOST OF THE “CUTS” SHE WANTED WERE REVERSED.  She said her spending levels would have to hold and they didn’t.  Instead the Democrats slashed the only real tax relief in the bill for most middle class families.  We need to tell Senator Collins that they stripped any supposed savings from her “compromise” bill and she should vote NO.

There are also dozens of nervous Democratic senators out there who need to hear and feel that the grassroots fire is still there — that we didn’t fall for the line that that legislation was improved.  That we know that borrowing and spending a trillion dollars can’t make us wealthier as a country. 

Despite what the pundits say this bill is vulnerable.  If we can convince any ONE senator this whole thing could unravel, dealing the entire Big Government agenda a stunning setback.

Thanks for all you are doing and have done.  We’ve made a powerful impact on this crucial public policy battle because you have shown that literally hundreds-of-thousands of Americans from all 50 states and from all walks of life are willing to stand up for our economic freedoms. 

Let’s keep it going. Please act NOW by clicking here!

Sincerely,

Tim Phillips
President, Americans for Prosperity