The Tea Party Patriots just issued an urgent plea to followers across the country in advance of tomorrow’s procedural vote on a health care reform package in the Senate. The group is calling on Tea Partiers across the country to “Converge on the Capitol” tomorrow at 1 p.m. for yet another protest rally opposing reform.
“It’s not too late to kill the bill,” the Tea Party Patriots “National Coordinator Team” wrote in an email sent to supporters this afternoon.
The group claims that the schedule for tomorrow’s vote — which allows future debate on the bill on the Senate floor — proves that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is running scared from health care reform opponents.
“Harry Reid knows Americans don’t want this bill, which is why he has scheduled the cloture vote for 8 PM on Saturday,” they write. “If the cloture vote passes, debate will begin on the health care bill, and it will be more difficult than ever to stop the bill from passing. That’s why you must take a stand on Saturday!”
The tea partiers plan to target moderate Democratic senators as debate on the cloture motion continues tomorrow. In today’s email, the National Coordinators call on tea partiers who can’t make it to D.C. to call and fax Senate offices during the day of the vote.
But they hope many in the movement will see the vote as important enough to call for an impromptu road trip.
“if you can make it to Washington, DC tomorrow,” they write, “please, come and join your fellow Americans to stop this dangerous takeover of the health care system.”
Tea Partiers have had mixed success with similar rallying cries during the health care debate in Congress. A “flash mob” called to protest the announcement of the House reform bill on Oct. 29 brought around a dozen or so tea partiers to the Capitol lawn. But a tea party rally called on Nov. 5 by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) to coincide with the final vote on the bill in the House drew thousands.
The group did not return a call from TPMDC this afternoon seeking more information on tomorrow’s event.
