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To: Members:
National Restaurant Association
From: Dawn Sweeney, President & CEO
Date: November 24, 2009
Subject: Call to Action - Health Care Reform Alert
As you know, over the weekend the Senate approved proceeding with debate
on Health Care Reform, voting 60 to 39 in favor of bringing the health care
bill to the Senate floor. All 58 Democrats were joined by the 2
Independents to reach the 60 vote threshold, with 39 Republicans voting
against the move and Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) not voting.
At this point, there remains a substantial likelihood that Congress will
pass health care reform, although there will be several more steps before
the legislation is final. The Senate will begin debate on November
30th, with numerous amendments expected. They may vote on the
bill before the end of the year, at which point the House and Senate
versions must be reconciled. Both chambers will have to vote on the
final bill before it can be sent to the President’s desk.
While the new Senate bill contains some progress towards the principles
we have outlined, in its current form it is not sufficient to gain our
support. Our strategy is to remain at the table to influence the
final legislation for the benefit of our industry. We do that by
asking Senators to support our 5 key
principles and working with them to make the changes we
need. NRA staff has been meeting with key Senators and Administration
officials to accomplish this, and we will continue to do so.
We need your help!
Now is the time when you can make a difference in this debate.
Engage your Senators to talk about the restaurant industry and deliver the
same message we are communicating on Capitol Hill:
“As a restaurateur, I support the objectives of health care reform to
lower costs and increase access to coverage, but only in a way that allows
us to maintain our ability to put more Americans to work. The final
legislation must consider the unique economic and operational realities
facing my business and industry. The employer responsibilities
represent a very significant challenge and burden for restaurateurs like me
and threaten the continued viability of my business. To that end, I want to
call your attention to five areas that have the most significant impact on
restaurants and urge your support for the following provisions:
1. A Part-time worker exemption
2. A robust small business exemption
3. A 90-day waiting period for new hires
4. A modified definition of full-time employee
5. Preserving existing ERISA protections
More information about these five key priorities is available on our website.
Take Action Now!
Write your Senator a letter asking that they support the 5 key
priorities. Log on to our website and click on the “Write
Your Congressman” tab to customize a letter with your own
story. Hit send and we’ll make sure your Senator receives it.
Continue to check the Web site as the debate moves forward, as we will
be posting new information as it becomes available.
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