This weekend Senator Ben Nelson has done the exact opposite of what thousands of Nebraskans have told him they wanted; Senator Nelson expressed support for, in his words, a ‘government-run option’ for health care. You can read the CNN story, with the headline ‘Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson backs trigger mechanism for public health insurance’ here:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/06/health.care/index.html

What does a trigger mechanism mean? A trigger option, criteria for determining when the government-run option is employed, will be used, according to Senator Nelson, when “there isn't the kind of competition in the business that we believe there would be.”

Do not be fooled, the real question is not what is a ‘trigger option’; the real question is who are ‘they’ who determines when government gets to take over. Under Senator Nelson’s plan, ‘they’ is the government.

Senator Nelson is letting government hold the trigger on the quality of health care for millions of Americans.

The federal government has a track record of absorbing power, from No Child Left Behind, an $825 Billion stimulus bill that was so large and encumbered Members of Congress did not have time to read the bill, the take over of GM and the automobile industry, government-controlled energy through Cap-and-Trade and now government-run health care. Government has made its position clear: It wants more power.

Contact Senator Nelson and tell him you do not want government deciding how powerful it should be. Senator Nelson’s office can be reached by emailing senator@bennelson.senate.gov or calling:

Washington
(202) 224-6551

Omaha
(402) 391-3411

Lincoln
(402) 441-4600

Scottsbluff
(308) 631-7614

Kearney
(308) 293-5818

South Sioux City
(402) 209-3595

Ask Senator Nelson for real reforms that put patients first, not government. Thank you for everything you do to stop this government take over of health care.