Over 500 Ways to Reform Health Care

Cross posted on the YouTube blog

Last week, YouTube Senator of the Week Chris Dodd (D-CT) asked you for your input on the health care legislation that Congress is currently drafting. You responded enthusiastically on the Senate Hub, contributing over 500 unique ideas on health care reform and casting over 26,000 votes on these ideas, making this the most successful round of Senator of the Week to date. Today, Senator Dodd responds to your top-rated suggestions:



While Senator Dodd wasn't able to respond to all of your suggestions, there were many compelling and thoughtful responses to the health care reform question submitted through Google Moderator. Many of you endorsed a single payer system, with one Massachusetts resident offering this rationale: "SINGLE PAYER. Everybody in and nobody out. It's a great idea from the left, which is public financing, combined with a great idea from the right, which is private delivery."

Others disagreed, like Porter from Florida, who wrote, "We are pleased with our health care sharing program and a mandated health insurance will be an infringement on our religious and economic liberties. Share programs are an effective and efficient part of our nation's current health care system."

While Senator Dodd is no longer accepting suggestions through the Senate Hub, we encourage you to continue this spirited debate by submitting a comment or video response to Senator Dodd's video.

Yours,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube News & Politics

Senator of the Week: Grab Your Seat at the Health Care Table

Currently, the Senate is writing major health care legislation that has the potential to affect millions of Americans who currently lack coverage, as well as businesses and families who are getting hit with rising costs.

That's why YouTube Senator of the Week Chris Dodd (D-CT) wants to hear your ideas on health care reform -- whether your current coverage is working for you -- or whether you have a better solution in mind.



As a Senior Member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, one of the two committees in charge of drafting the upcoming health care reform bill, Senator Dodd wants to make sure that citizen voices are guiding the process.

Want to have a virtual seat at the health care table? Head over to the YouTube Senate Hub and use the Moderator gadget to offer up your thoughts or vote on others. Senator Dodd will return next week to respond to your top-rated suggestions.

Yours,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube News & Politics

Senator Dorgan Addresses Your Ideas About Solar Energy and "Vampire Devices"

Last week on the Senate Hub, Senator of the Week Byron Dorgan (D-ND) asked for your ideas on energy policy, noting the fact that the Senate is currently in the process of drafting new energy legislation.

Using Google Moderator, you submitted a number of specific suggestions including installing solar panels on government buildings and addressing those terrifying "vampire devices" (appliances that sit idle continuously wasting electricity). In this video, Senator Dorgan responds to your top-rated suggestions:

If you'd like to continue the conversation with Senator Dorgan about energy policy, you can visit his YouTube channel and post a comment or a video response.

YouTube Rep of the Week Asks 'Where Should The Money Go'?

As Congress considers this year's budget and the many areas that require funding -- health care, education, defense, the stimulus -- they're going to have some tough choices to make due to the economic crisis. That's why this week's Representative of the Week , Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), wants your input as to what Congress's budget priorities should be:



You can visit the YouTube House Hub now to offer your budget suggestions to Congressman Ryan. In addition, Senator Grassley (R-IA) is back on the Senate Hub, responding to your health care reform ideas from last week:



Your suggestions on health care reform ranged from giving all citizens the same health care benefits that Members of Congress receive to doing away with group insurance. And while Senator Grassley was not able to address all of these ideas, many of them are worthy of further exploration -- you can view the full list of ideas now at www.youtube.com/senatehub.

From an Amazing Desk, Senator Grassley Asks for Your Thoughts on Health Care

We're heading into Round 3 of YouTube's Senator of the Week and this week's featured Senator, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), wants you to visit the YouTube Senate Hub and voice your thoughts on an issue that played a big role in the 2008 election: health care reform.

In this video, Senator Grassley shows off his amazing Senate Hub desk (surely the coolest Technicolor innovation since Joseph busted out his Dreamcoat), then hits the hallowed halls of Congress to ask Americans what they think should be changed (or kept the same) about the American health care system. But he also wants to hear from those of you who couldn't make the trek to DC:




Do you think that health care premiums are too high? Have a plan to lower the price of prescription drugs? Or do you like the current health care system and want it to remain the same? Whatever your idea, Senator Grassley is all ears, so sound off at youtube.com/senatehub. And even if you don't have your own three-point plan for health care reform, you can always use Moderator to vote up other citizens' ideas that you like. As always, the top suggestions will be responded to via video next week by the Senator.

Congress Responds to Your Ideas, Even Those that Made Pepsi Shoot out of Your Nose

Last Tuesday, Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) launched Round 2 of YouTube Senator/Representative of the Week by asking you to offer your thoughts on two important issues facing Congress right now: how to eliminate wasteful spending and whether 401k plans should be nationalized.

On the Senate Hub, in response to McCaskill's question, you put forth 77 insightful suggestions about how the United States could cut back on wasteful spending. Bill from Ozark, Missouri suggested that the government "stop the "cost-plus" arrangement that allows a contractor to name its own price for services rendered," while YouTube user pbg22 advised,"don't limit your search to the traditional Military and R&D projects. I work in transportation and contract waste is everywhere." Here Senator McCaskill responds to the ideas you voted to the top of the pile:



Over on the House Hub , respondents overwhelmingly agreed that 401k plans should not be nationalized -- Trevor from Akron was so horrified at the idea of nationalization that "upon viewing this video, the Pepsi I was drinking came shooting out my nose and I began to cough." Meanwhile, Gary from Texas offered this rationale for why he didn't support nationalization: "Nationalizing 401K de-emphasizes the basic premise of our work ethic. It provides an avenue for "Big Government" to impose additional administrative fees (tax) for earmark spending." For Representative McMorris Rodgers' response, watch this video:



If you have thoughts about either of these issues, but didn't submit them the House Hub or Senate Hub on time, you can still join the conversation by posting a video response or adding a comment to either McCaskill's or McMorris Rodgers' response video.

Get on the Tube to Congress

We're excited to launch Round 2 of "Senator of the Week" on YouTube's Senate Hub today, giving you another opportunity to use Google Moderator to offer Members of Congress your thoughts on the most important issues facing America right now.

This week's featured Senator is Claire McCaskill (D-MO) who is the new chairman of a subcommittee on contracting oversight. McCaskill wants to hear how you think Congress can eliminate wasteful spending:

In addition, we're kicking off the first installment of "Representative of the Week" with Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). If you head over to the YouTube House Hub now, you can weigh in on the debate about whether Congress should nationalize 401k plans:



Congress is waiting to hear your thoughts on these issues, which are being hotly debated on the Hill right now, so head over to youtube.com/senatehub and youtube.com/househub and make your voice heard.


Yours,
Ramya Raghavan
YouTube News & Politics

Senator of the Week: Your Votes Are In

Last week, Senator Cornyn (R-TX) kicked off the YouTube Senator of the Week program with this video in which he asked for your thoughts about the recently-passed economic stimulus package.

You responded through the Senate Hub's Moderator gadget with 112 unique ideas about what Congress could do to better stimulate the American economy, including eliminating the income tax and providing substantial student debt relief for young Americans. Over 2400 votes were cast on these ideas and the YouTube community's favorites rose to the top.

In this video, Senator Cornyn addresses your top two ideas:



Senator Cornyn only responded to the top 2 submissions, but there are many other excellent ideas that deserve your attention and discussion. We hope that you'll read them over and post your own video response to Cornyn's video to keep the lively stimulus debate going on YouTube. And don't forget to visit the youtube.com/senatehub and youtube.com/househub next Tuesday to weigh in on two new issues from our next Senator and Representative of the Week.