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Call to Action: April 3, 2018

Protect the VA for Veterans

#CareforVeterans
#NoPrivatization

Trump’s nomination of Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs must not succeed. While Jackson is a seasoned physician, he lacks experience to run America’s second-largest agency, with 9 million patients, 340,000 employees, and 1,240 facilities. His confirmation sets up the VA for further mismanagement and more privatization – with veterans’ lives in the balance.

The VA’s problems are well documented: long wait times, high provider turnover, uneven quality of care, and lack of accountability.

Despite their problems, the VA offers coordinated care by providers who understand vets’ experiences, low administrative costs, and no profit incentives.

A private sector already struggling to serve all communities under a profit-making model is not the solution.

The VA already has a small-scale privatization program with a mixed record: unimproved average wait times, higher administrative costs, and improper billings. AMVETS called it “a money and energy suck.”

But the Koch Brothers and others inside and outside the Administration want to dismantle the country’s largest integrated, single payer health care delivery system for ideological and profit-making reasons.

Let’s tell our Senators that the next VA head must be experienced and must . . .

Fight VA Privatization!

**ACTION: CALL OUR SENATORS ** 
(Leave a message if you can’t get through.)

SAMPLE SCRIPT for Senators Merkley and Wyden: 
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent and voter from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because I want the Senator to oppose the nomination of Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson to head the Veterans Administration. We need someone at the helm who has experience and is committed to preventing irresponsible privatization of the VA. Thank you.”

SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY 
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/

SENATOR RON WYDEN 
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/

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Events Reminder:

The Neighborhood Leader Program (not an ORD2 Indivisible program) is a proven way to Get Out the Vote! If you have wondered what you can do to actually make a difference in the upcoming elections, THIS IS AN ANSWER. There are two trainings scheduled for this week, tomorrow in Ashland and Saturday in Medford. Please click on these links for additional information: