Nineteen House Democrats have signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi pledging to vote against any healthcare reform legislation "unless it explicitly excludes abortion funding from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan." Signatories include Dan Boren of Oklahoma, Bart Stupak of Michigan, Tim Holden, John Murtha, Kathleen Dahlkemper and Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania, Collin Peterson and James Oberstar of Minnesota, Travis Childers and Gene Taylor of Mississippi, Li9ncoln Davis of Tennessee, Solomon Ortiz of Texas, Mike McIntyre and Heath Schuler of North Carolina, Jerry Costello of Illinois, Bobby Bright of Alabama, Steve Dreihaus and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana.
Labor unions opposed to taxation of health care benefits received from employers as income are mounting a television ad campaign in opposition to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus and Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, over those Senators' promotion of taxing health benefits as a means of funding health care reform. Release of similar ads attacking Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa for the same reason, and suspension of the attacks on Baucus and Conrad, has been agreed to by the unions pending the outcome of a meeting between Baucus and Jacob Hay of the Laborers International Union of North America.
Meanwhile, Vincent Panvini, lobbyist for the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, announced that his union is suspending all campaign donations and redirecting the $2 million slated for federal candidates toward media efforts against taxation of health benefits. Further opposition to taxing hard won health care benefits comes from the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Teamsters unions. Gerry Shea, of the AFL-CIO says he believes the union campaign against forcing blue collar workers out of the middle class by taking their health care benefits is losing steam in the Senate Finance Committee already as a result of union opposition.
Labor unions opposed to taxation of health care benefits received from employers as income are mounting a television ad campaign in opposition to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus and Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, over those Senators' promotion of taxing health benefits as a means of funding health care reform. Release of similar ads attacking Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa for the same reason, and suspension of the attacks on Baucus and Conrad, has been agreed to by the unions pending the outcome of a meeting between Baucus and Jacob Hay of the Laborers International Union of North America.
Meanwhile, Vincent Panvini, lobbyist for the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, announced that his union is suspending all campaign donations and redirecting the $2 million slated for federal candidates toward media efforts against taxation of health benefits. Further opposition to taxing hard won health care benefits comes from the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Teamsters unions. Gerry Shea, of the AFL-CIO says he believes the union campaign against forcing blue collar workers out of the middle class by taking their health care benefits is losing steam in the Senate Finance Committee already as a result of union opposition.
