During the recent debate on the judicial nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland for appointment to the General District Court bench, social conservative members of the House of Delegates repeatedly claimed that Mr. Thorne-Begland was unfit to serve as a judge because he had violated his duty to his country when he chose to declare his sexual orientation while in active military service.  They likewise claimed that he betrayed his oath as a commissioned officer, thus calling into question his integrity and faithfulness to his mission.  These Delegates sought to vote down Mr. Thorne-Begland's nomination, extolling the sanctity of an oath and a duty that he allegedly broke.

For the moment, put aside the fact that the Virginia General Assembly chose to let ignorance prevail in its consideration of a learned individual for judicial appointment. Put aside the fact that the nomination of a decorated former Navy pilot, career prosecutor, loving father, and highly respected member of the community was derailed due to the fear-mongering of a coalition seduced by the McCarthyistic power of the bully pulpit. Put all of that aside and contemplate how our representatives in the House of Delegates regarded their own oath of office, their own duty of service, when it came time to vote on Mr. Thorne-Begland's nomination.

Out of 100 members of the House of Delegates, only sixty-four members cast a voteon this critical, judicial nomination. Ten members abstained, and twenty-six members simply did not vote. More than one-third of our elected representatives in the House of Delegates chose not to cast a vote on a judicial nomination.

Prior to assuming office, each member of the House of Delegates must swear an oath of service, which states, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me ... according to the best of my ability, (so help me God)." Va. Code §49-1. Furthermore, Rule 30 of the House of Delegates, passed in January 2012, dictates that "No member shall absent himself from the service of the House unless he has leave granted by the Speaker or is sick or otherwise unable to attend and such leave shall be entered upon the Journal."

These Delegates swore faithful and impartial discharge of all the duties incumbent upon them, which presumably includes voting upon judicial nominations. They took an oath as officers of the Commonwealth, as elected representatives of the people of Virginia. There is no exception clause for when the vote may be controversial. There is no exclusion footnote for when the debate makes a representative uncomfortable. There is no expiration time for when the debate lasts past the midnight hour.

Faithful and impartial discharge of duties is unequivocally clear - steadfast, unbiased representation. Nevertheless, more than one-third of the House of Delegates equivocated when called upon to exercise their basic duty - to vote.

Edmund Burke is credited as once saying, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Through its treatment of Mr. Thorne-Begland's nomination, the Virginia House of Delegates twice failed all Virginians. First, it failed to appoint to the Virginia bench a bi-partisan nominee of unquestionable character and legal acumen. Second, it failed to fulfill the oath it swore to Virginians--by not even showing up to vote.

Tara Casey is a Richmond lawyer who lives in Hanover County with her husband and two small children; prior to her current position at the University of Richmond School of Law, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

ProgressVA today released a new video highlighting the record Gov. McDonnell is hoping Virginians (and Mitt Romney's VP selection committee) will forget. Virginians are intimately familiar with his support for extreme, out-of-touch social legislation and failure to adequately invest in public education and transportation solutions. As McDonnell attempts to whitewash his record and reclaim his struggling VP bid with a $400,000 tv ad blitz, ProgressVA is setting the record straight.

"Bob McDonnell may think he can buy his way back into Virginians' good graces, but we don't fool that easily," said ProgressVA Executive Director Anna Scholl. "Virginians can't forget Bob McDonnell's support for forced, mandatory ultrasounds, his repeal of common sense public safety protections, his lack of adequate investment in public education, and his absolute failure to address our transportation crisis."

This latest data further proves the that the ACA is good for America and good for Virginians. Since the law was enacted in 2012, Virginians have saved millions and gotten the health care that they need to live healthier lives.

Check below for an important list of the facts:

Via MSNBC: "Candy company Mars is the latest corporation to abandon the right-wing agenda group ALEC. Some ALEC-associated lawmakers are feeling the heat. Director of Progress VA Anna Scholl tells Ed Schultz about her confrontation with the Virginia Speaker of the House over his party's ties to ALEC."

Small businesses benefit from:

• The ACA ends the "Job Lock." Starting a business can be risky for those with families to support.  On top of everything else involved, if you or a family member has a pre-existing medical condition, then currently leaving your job (and losing the health insurance that comes with it) to start a businesses is often a non-starter. The ACA will end this job lock and makes it possible for new entrepreneurs to start new businesses without worrying about whether their next health care policy will cover their pre-existing conditions.
• Small Business Tax Credits.  Because of the ACA, 4 million small businesses now have access to tax credits to help with the cost of health insurance premiums.  These lower premiums mean more coverage for employees and more flexibility for employers to grow their business and hire more workers.
• Small businesses can band together to lower their costs. When fully implemented in 2014, small businesses will be able to purchase health insurance for employees through state run exchanges.  These exchanges will give small businesses the advantages that big business has today -- more choices and lower rates for covering their employees.

Small businesses aren't the only ones saving. Individuals and families are also seeing the health care costs controlled because of the ACA:

• Insurance companies will be held accountable for how they spend you health insurance premiums.  If insurance companies don't spend at least 80% of your premium dollar on medical care and quality improvements instead of advertising, overhead and profits, then they'll have to provide you a rebate.
• No more co-pays or deductibles for preventative services.  Whether it's flu shots, cancer screenings or well-child visits, preventative services will be free as part of your health insurance.  This means better care and more money in your pocket.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to raise rates without accountability or transparency.  If insurance companies must now justify rate increases of 10% or more.  This has already led insurance companies slowing their premium increases.

The Affordable Care Act is nearly two years old.  Make your voice heard to your legislators, neighbors and friends to ensure it continues to make health care work for all Americans.

Health care works for seniors, health care works for Women, and Health care works for Young Adults and Children

The great recession has been a challenging time for all Virginians, but especially those entering the workforce for the first time.  Whether getting a job after high school, college or  graduate school, there has been more competition for fewer jobs.  What is usually an exciting time for young people starting their adult lives has become scary and challenging.  Even more so for those who have health issues - whether new or or ongoing.

Thankfully the Affordable Care Act became law two years ago this week and it is already working for young people.

More below the fold.

Health care access will also be easier for young people whose parents don't have health care and all adults.  Starting in 2014:

• You'll be able to buy insurance from the same place that members of Congress will get their health plans, through an Affordable Insurance Exchange.
• If your income is less than $43,000, you'll get tax credits to help pay for insurance.

And the ACA doesn't just help young adults, it helps children too:

• Insurance companies are already not allowed to deny coverage to children under age 19 based on a pre-existing condition.  Starting in 2014, they won't be allowed to deny it to anyone.
• Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetimes limits on health care benefits.
• Preventative services will now be free, encouraging early treatment and detection.  For kids, that means vaccinations and well-child visits won't cost parents out-of-pocket.  For young adults, that means blood pressure screenings, diabetes tests, cancer screenings and counseling on healthy lifestyles will help individuals stay healthier and catch illness earlier.

The ACA ensures that health care works for all Americans.  We must protect it.

Continuing our week long celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, let's look at a few of the things the the Affordable Care Act does for women's health:

• The ACA ends lifetime limits on healthcare and bans annual limits beginning in 2014.  For those who are most sick, this means that their care won't stop when they need it most.


• Women can no longer be charged 150 times more than men.  Before the ACA passed, Caesarean sections and domestic violence were considered pre-existing conditions and used to deny women healthcare.  Thanks to the ACA, that is no longer the case.


• Since passage, more than 20 million women have received preventative services without a co-pay.  The ACA has made it possible for women to access recommended services such as mammograms, pap smears, contraception, new baby care and well-child visits without any out of pocket expenses.


• Under the ACA, all new health plans will be required to offer essential benefits for women including maternity care, newborn care and prescription drug benefits.

In Virginia, we've seen the war on women's health up close and personal.   The very same folks who brought you the outrageous legislation this session are behind attempts to fight the Affordable Care Act and its benefits for Virginia's women.   We must protect women's care.

This Thursday, March 23, the Affordable Care Act will celebrate its two-year anniversary.  To mark the occasion, advocates across the Commonwealth will host events to highlight how the ACA has worked for Virginia.  These activities include a tweet chat on Twitter, campus speak-outs, community conversations and others where Virginians will share their personal stories about how the ACA has changed their lives.

The ACA's benefits have been profound for our seniors, young adults, children, women, small businesses, consumers and communities.  Here are examples of how the ACA has helped Virginians get better health care, save millions of dollars and live healthier:

• Virginia's seniors on Medicare have saved nearly $80 million on brand-name prescription drugs because of the ACA and more than 800,000 have received free preventative care services
• More than 1.5 million Virginians, including 410,000 children, can now get preventative care services without a co-pay
• Nearly 3,000,000 Virginians are now free of fear from lifetime caps on insurance coverage
• More than 60,000 of Virginia's young adults now have health care coverage though their parents' employer-provided health insurance
• More than 2,000,000 Virginians are better informed about the percentage of their premium dollars insurance companies actually spend on health care costs
• Virginians most in need have received critical health care through public health services and community-based clinics supported by more than $64.5 million in federal funding.

More below the fold.

Doctors for America

Empower Hampton Roads

Know Your Care

Main Street Alliance

Moms Rising

National Physicians Alliance - Virginia

Planned Parenthood

Small Business Majority

Virginia Consumer Voices for Health Care

Virginia Organizing

Voices for Virginia's Children

Young Invincibles

The ACA is working for Virginians and Americans.  It's fixing our badly broken health care system, reducing fraud and corruption.  It's saving our seniors millions of dollars on prescription drug costs.  It's protecting our children with pre-existing conditions, our young adults and our uninsured, helping them get insurance and the critical health care they need.  It's helping those most in need get critical care, through grants to community health centers and expanded Medicaid coverage.  We should all celebrate its two-year anniversary.

Unfortunately, this is not the only case of a lack of transparency in our government. Important decisions are frequently made behind closed doors without public input or scrutiny. Lawmakers are changing our retirement system, designing transportation plans, and making decisions about mining and water quality all without the benefit of public input. They have even gone so far as to pass complicated bills at the last minute late on Saturday evenings, with no public disclosure or input. It is outrageous that the oldest legislative body in the nation is using tactics like this to bypass their constituents and pass bills that will affect them without providing them the opportunity to voice their opinion. 

Instead of celebrating Sunshine Week with new policies for a transparent government, we are faced with news that lawmakers are trying to shut the door on public input and keeping valuable information secret. Lawmakers work for us, and they must take our opinions into account before making decisions that will drastically impact our daily lives. Public input should be the cornerstone of every decision a lawmaker makes, and it is completely unacceptable that lawmakers are attempting to shut out their constituents. During Sunshine Week, we need to send a message to lawmakers and let them know that we demand to be heard when they are making these important decisions.  

Like you, we are outraged, disappointed, angry, and frustrated. But, in the midst of that, I hope you don't lose sight of what we accomplished to protect women's health. We started out this General Assembly session with a Republican controlled legislature and Republican Governor intent on restricting women's rights and access to health care. They introduced bills including:

The media loves to make claims about the Affordable Care Act being unpopular. The latest USA/Gallup poll doesn't tell the whole truth about Americans' attitudes about the Affordable Care Act and in fact, shows the health care reform law is unpopular because its been politicized. In fact, when people learn the truth about the law, they have a more favorable opinion about it; even, Susan Page, author of the USA Today article discussing the recent poll acknowledged this fact on Twitter earlier today.

Here are the facts:

Americans wanted health care reform:
Pollingshows that prior to health care reform, a majority of Americans thought that the old health care system was broken and needed to be fixed.

Americans wanted health care reform to fix critical problems:
Polling shows that a majority of Americans wanted reform to target costs (make insurers keep premium costs down), keep insurance companies honest (prevent insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions) make reform fair (require everyone to share the burden and get health care coverage.)

Americans support an individual mandate:
Polling shows that Americans have a positive opinion about the individual responsibility provision, when they learn that the mandate and tax won't apply to them, since they'll be covered under their employer's health care plan.

Americans like the ACA:
Polling shows that a majority of Americans think that Congress should "expand or keep the ACA as is."

The ACA has given Americans what they wanted. Need more facts? Visit www.protectyourcare.org.