As Congress moves toward votes on health care reform, it is important that our representatives hear from you. Health care currently represents approximately 1/7th of the country's gross national product and touches each of us in very individual and personal ways. Please send an e-mail in the next few days to the parties listed below and any other members of Congress you feel comfortable with expressing your opinions on the subject and requesting that legislative action be postponed to give us all an opportunity to become informed on the legislation and give input.

President Obama gave Congress an August recess deadline for passage of health care bill. The Senate has now said it will not take a bill up until after the recess, but House Speaker Pelosi has said the House will vote on a bill prior to the August recess.

Do any of you know what is in the bill? Even President Obama did not seem knowledgeable about the specifics of the legislation at his news conference on Wednesday evening. The bill is being drafted behind closed doors. Transparency should be the rule in this important area with ample time allowed for citizen input.

Americans need to have the opportunity to become fully informed on the substance of any health care legislation and its effect on them. At this point, most Americans, consumers and providers, do not know what is in the bill. We also have a massive federal deficit that the Congressional Budget Office says will be increased substantially by the current bill. Rushing the legislation through based on artificial deadlines courts mass confusion and possible economic and political disaster.

Fifty-two moderate democrats known as "Blue Dog Democrats" are presently resisting pressure for passage of the house bill by the artificial deadline.

Please write to the following:

Representative Richard Neal - go to his website - www.house.gov/neal/- click on send an e-mail located in the upper right hand corner of the page

Speaker Pelosi - AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov

Blue Dog Democrats - BlueDog@mail.house.gov

If we are to have health care reform, let's tell our representatives to take the time to do it right.