Day 63.

Can I tell you a story?

Eight years ago, on the night before election day, I was phone banking for Barack Obama. I called a woman in Florida, I think. When she answered the phone she sounded older, and tired. I asked her if she planned to vote tomorrow, if she had a way to get to the polls.

“Child,” she said to me. “If the good Lord comes to me and tells me tomorrow is my last day on earth, I will go and I will vote for him.”

I thanked her. She wished God to bless me.

I hope she is watching him tonight.

Day 60.

I took care of myself today. I went to dance class for the first time in about a month. I do a Bollywood dance class called Doonya. Bollywood dancing is as fun as it sounds, while also being a kick-butt workout. I felt happy and like myself at the same time. It was a really good thing to take some time for just me.

I’ve also been following the debate over the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare). The majority in the new Congress is talking about repealing it. Sometimes they also talk about replacing it. It’s a little confusing, I’ll be honest. I’ve gathered some information about it.

Vox’s The Ezra Klein Show (link to podcast on iTunes) interviewed President Obama for about an hour last week about the repeal and replace effort. Obama talks about the law, and about efforts to repeal it. As he points out, nobody has come up with any specific plan for replacing it in the nearly seven years since the law was passed. (Tom Price, who I’ve written about here before, has drafted a proposal which would eliminate the protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, one of ACA’s most popular features, and it would also allow doctors to opt out of – and to charge more than – Medicare.)

The New York Times has a very helpful infographic here that shows which parts of the law are easiest to pare back – requiring 50 votes in the Senate – and which will require 60 votes (to break the filibuster). Republicans have 51 votes, and it’s not likely that any Democrats are going to give on this. (The pre-existing condition provision, mentioned above, will require 60 votes.)

If you’re still reading, I’m impressed. And maybe you have a story about ACA yourself? I would love to hear more about life for people before and after the ACA. I’m on an employer-provided plan that existed before ACA, but it’s of interest to me. What family do you know without a pre-existing condition? What family do you know where nobody has ever needed a doctor? As we age (consider the alternative) it’s inevitable. I think it’s in all of our interests to understand our system, and what would happen to us if it changes.

Day 59.

Have you ever heard of the Holman Rule?

It hearkens back to the 19th century, when it was instituted as a way to speedily eliminate patronage appointments.

According to the Washington Post:

The rule changes the process of passing spending bills by allowing any rank-and-file House member to propose an amendment that would cut a specific federal program or the jobs of specific federal employees, by slashing their salaries or eliminating their positions altogether.

Before the change, an agency’s budget could be cut broadly, but a specific program, employee or groups of employees could not be targeted because of civil service protections.

It was included in the 115th Congress’ rules package (for a year, with an optional one-year extension).

Other job protections and benefits are set to be on the chopping block in the coming administration.

The Holman rule got no coverage in the media earlier this week, because we were all focused on the Office of Congressional Ethics being gutted. It’s enormously frustrating to try to keep up with the sleight of hand here.

I’m reading Hope in the Dark to try to feel less miserable about this. But right now I do feel miserable about what’s going on behind closed doors.

Day 58.

It’s a good thing the Office of Congressional Ethics has been preserved for the time being. That’s because today, Public Citizen filed a complaint with them asking for an investigation into the trading activities of Rep. Tom Price. (They’ve also asked the SEC to take a look.) They want OCE to consider whether Price may have used insider information in making investments in industries he oversees. To quote Public Citizen:

Since 2009, according to congressional financial disclosure reports, Price has conducted over 630 trades on the stock market, many of which involve the pharmaceutical and health care sectors that he oversees as chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee and as a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health.

Price has been nominated to be the Director of Health and Human Services. Chuck Schumer (my senator, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee), believes that there is enough information to warrant an investigation.

Rep. Price’s hearing is set for January 18.

If your Senator is on the Finance Committee, give them a call and ask them to push Price on this, and to echo Schumer’s calls for an investigation. Make your voice heard!

Offer valid in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio (twice!), Oregon, Pennsylvania (also twice!), South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Click through the committee link above to get your Senator’s contact information.

EDITED to reflect Schumer isn’t actually on the committee anymore, because he gave his seat to Senator McKaskill of Missouri.

Day 57.

I’m setting my sights on two issues tomorrow: one big, and one small.

The big: The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing tomorrow on Foreign Cyber Threats to the United States. While I won’t be able to watch it live, I’ll follow the news coverage (and transcripts, if necessary) with an eye to how my Senator handles herself. And if you live in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire (twice!), New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, or West Virginia, you can too. I’m planning to follow up with her office about this.

The small: my city council is considering something called the Right to Know Act, which would require police officers to do two things: to identify themselves to the public and explain the reason for interactions; and to notify people that they have the right to refuse a search. Similar legislation has been required by the DOJ in consent decrees with police departments in other cities in the past. This Google doc tells me that my City Council member endorsed the RTNA, so I’m calling him to thank him and to urge him to push for its passage tomorrow.