StrategyHow our Proposal will become a law

Bringing Medicare to Mexico is primarily a political campaign. But rather than votes from the public, we need votes from Members of Congress. Getting those votes is never easy. Members of Congress must consider, debate, and vote over hundreds of issues every year.

Getting a law passed is a difficult process... especially if you don't have a cadre of highly paid K street lobbyists working your issue and making sure the reelection campaign coffers of officials remain full.
  • The first hurdle is getting your proposal introduced. You must find at least one Member to champion your proposal. And remember, hundreds of others are seeking that member's support for their issues at the same time. (and, having been there, I can tell you that the popular myth of a "do-nothing" Congress is not true... Members and their staffs put in long hours and work very hard). A Member of the House or Senate must literally "drop your proposal in the hopper." In the House, this is actually a box on the Clerk's desk, where any Member may insert a proposal for legislation. In the Senate, a Member must gain the recognition of the presiding officer, and announce the introduction of the bill. If any Senator objects to the introduction, the introduction is postponed to the following day. Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number (HR.XXX for the House and S.XXX for the Senate); the sponsor's name is attached; and it is sent to be printed.
  • The legislation is then assigned to a committee with jurisdiction over the subject matter. This is done either by the Speaker of the House or the Presiding officer of the Senate. The committee then schedules action on the bill... and failure to act essentially kills the bill in committee. He committee will also "mark up" the bill. This means adding amendments or making changes. IF the bill survives to this point and is "reported" (voted) out of committee, (with reports to the full chamber explaining why the bill is / is not recommended for passage). In the House, most bills also pass through the Rules Committee, where rules are set governing the procedures for handling by the full House.
  • The bill is then placed on the Calendar. In the House, the Speaker and Majority Leader have significant power to decide if and when a bill reaches the floor. In the Senate, the Majority Leader is in charge of scheduling, but a majority of Senators may vote to bring a bill to the floor at any time.
  • On the House and Senate floor, the bill is debated. In the House, debate is governed by the rules established in the Rules Committee. In the Senate, there is no limit to debate, and one Senator may filibuster... literally, talk it to death, unless a 60-vote cloture is obtained. In fact, since the 1970's, an actual filibuster is not even required. A Senator may merely threaten filibuster, forcing a 60 vote majority in order to bring the bill to the floor. Amendments may be added during debate. In the House, amendments must be germane (relevant to the issue of the bill). In the Senate, amendments need not be germane, and often, riders are added. Riders are whole, unrelated bills that are tacked on the bill being debated. Consequently, opposition Senators will often try to add riders that are strongly opposed by the other party in order to kill the legislation. If the bill being debated happens to have strong support, or is a "must pass" piece of legislation, controversial riders may be added by supporters... literally allowing the controversial bill to "ride through" on the main bill being debated.
  • Assuming your bill has survived both the House and Senate votes, it then goes to a Conference Committee, made up of Members of both houses, where any differences are worked out. If a compromise bill is achieved, a Conference Report is prepared, which then must be approved by vote in both chambers.
  • If the Conference Report is approved by both the House and Senate, the bill goes to the President for signature. He has 10 days to sign if Congress is in session. If he does not sign within 10 days, and Congress remains in session, the bill becomes law without Presidential signature. The President may also veto the bill, returning it to Congress with his reasons for the veto. If Congress adjourns and the President does not sign within 10 days, the bill is effectively vetoed (called a "pocket veto").
  • A vetoed bill has one remaining chance to become law: an override vote in Congress. A 2/3 majority in both chambers is required to override a Presidential veto.
So, you can see we have a long, twisted, and treacherous road to navigate our proposal to become law. This is why I say legislating is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes determination, perseverance, and preparation. It is a campaign, as surely as any election. But an elected official only has to win a majority vote on Election Day. A legislative proposal has many more hurdles to become a law.

We hope to get Congressional action on this issue in the current Congress, and are working tirelessly to make that happen. But again, legislation is a marathon, not a sprint. Determination, preparation and persistence win marathons. If 2009 is not our year, we'll keep working in 2010. And 2011 if necessary. We believe the goal is achievable, and while working to get passage in 2009, we are also organizing for the possibility (perhaps the likelihood) of a longer fight.

Successful campaigns are based on the "four M's:"
  • Message.
  • Money.
  • Mobilization.
  • Management.
The MESSAGE is vital, and should be well developed FIRST. It may continue to be honed over time, but if mobilization gets out in front of message, the message to the audience (in this case, Members of Congress) can be confused, diluted, mixed, wasted, and lost. Once lost, getting audience attention and action a second time is much harder. They've moved on, having decided your campaign isn't worth their attention or time.

AMMAC is a new organization. The idea to pursue this goal was only conceived in March, 2009. The message that we want Medicare benefits for eligible seniors in Mexico may seem simple, but success dictates that it be backed up with deep knowledge of the relevant Medicare legislation; a thorough understanding of how Medicare operates; and familiarity with legislative processes and players in Washington, DC.

As this is being written in June, 2009, we have spent hundreds of hours researching and studying the issues. We have made numerous trips to consult with health policy experts, Members of Congress, and stakeholders in the private healthcare sector. The result is that we believe we have a winning message developed, backed by the necessary expertise to deliver powerful arguments in favor of our proposal.

MONEY is a requirement for mobilization and management of a successful campaign. Once the message is refined, you've got to mobilize your forces to deliver the message in a forceful way, and in large numbers. That may take advertising, travel, and marketing expertise. All things that costs money.

AMMAC's work has to date been financed mainly from the personal resources of its founder, Paul Crist. But there is a need for others to step up and participate financially. We're hopeful that the Mexican healthcare industry and the insurance industry will provide substantial support. We are working to make that happen. These are stakeholders who stand to gain a substantial market when the Project is implemented.

BUT YOU TOO HAVE A STAKE IN OUR SUCCESS, AND WE HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER DONATING TO THIS EFFORT! See the DONATE link on our main page to donate via Paypal, using any major credit card.

Your donation will permit us to mount a media campaign throughout Mexico, mobilizing the estimated 200,000 American seniors to support this effort by:
  • Collecting signatures in local communities in support
  • Calling and emailing their elected representatives in Washington, DC
  • Organizing and educating their neighbors and friends in support of Medicare in Mexico
Your donation will help defray travel costs for AMMAC representatives to take the message to Washington, DC. Nothing is more effective in getting a Member's attention than a personal visit. It allows us to tell our story and answer their questions. It allows us to leave detailed printed information, but more important, it allows is to leave a lasting impression that a letter or phone message cannot achieve.

Your donation will allow us to hire the health policy experts that will likely be needed to help draft policy and implementation plans for the project, and to provide the expert opinion that will greatly bolster our case for passage of this landmark legislative effort.

MOBILIZATION means building momentum and commitment to the cause among a grassroots constituency, and giving them the inspiration and the tools to take action. We believe our cause is just and that there is potential to build an effective grassroots campaign to bring Medicare to Mexico. We're at the beginning of this phase of our strategy in mid-2009.

YOU CAN DO YOUR PART IN BUILDING A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN BY:
  • Spreading the word.
    • Email everyone on your mailing list, with a link to this website (www.MedicareInMexico.org). Ask them to read about the project. Tell them why it is important to you. Ask them to take action to support the campaign by donating, by writing to their elected officials in Washington, and by talking to friends and family about the effort.
    • Talk to friends; let them know you've become part of an important campaign that will bring Medicare benefits to many thousands of seniors who now have no access to the benefits for which they have paid.
    • Contact your local English-language newspaper or other media that is used by the U.S. expat community to keep up with events and happenings. Offer to write a short article on the issue. There is enough information on this website that you'll do just fine, even if you're not a regular writer! Be sure to ask readers to take action! Have them contact you for more information or refer them to this website so they can contact us!
    • Contact us for assistance with starting and managing a petition drive to collect signatures in your town. (To be effective, specific information must be supplied by signers. We have a form we can email to you).
  • Above all, write or call your Senators and Congressional Representatives. Ask everyone you know to do the same. You can find their contact information at:
MANAGEMENT IS WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO KEEP PRESSURE ON ELECTED OFFICIALS UNTIL THIS PROPOSAL PASSES AND BECOMES LAW. Management is about coordinating the effort now and for the long haul. Management is about communication... from us to you, and from you to us. Management is about leadership, and knowing when and how to delegate responsibility.

AMMAC was founded by Paul Crist, who has many years of business management experience both in the U.S. and in Mexico. He also has political campaign experience and experience working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. His focus since taking on this project in March 2009 has been development of the proposal and the message; researching the current legislation and issues relevant to the topic, and writing the arguments that we believe will win the day in Congress; and putting in place the basic requirements for a longer-term effort should it be required (for example, setting up the legal structure of the non-profit organization and registering it with the Mexican tax authorities, establishing a bank account, designing and implementing this website).

His approach has been that of a business manager setting up a new enterprise. Successful enterprises begin with meticulous research, planning and preparation. Just as winning in business requires expertise and knowledge of one's field of endeavor, winning legislative battles requires the same. That's not easily acquired by forming committees or by holding endless meetings of interested parties with limited knowledge of the issue. Microsoft didn't have a Board of Directors when Bill Gates started it in his garage.

Nonetheless, there comes a time when delegating duties and broadening the range of input becomes not only prudent, but essential. At this writing, at mid 2009, developing a core volunteer management team is underway.

If you would like to become involved in our campaign to bring Medicare benefits to eligible seniors living in Mexico, please contact us at info@MedicareInMexico.org. There is much to be done!