Friends,

Today I write you with a sense of disappointment and urgency. Just a few minutes ago, my rubberstamp opponent, Randy Kuhl, voted to sustain George Bush's veto against the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expansion which would have provided privately administered health insurance coverage to over 10 million children. Kuhl, like far too many politicians, has been bought by his corporate contributors and his vote against children shows a direct link to that effect. Since 2003, Randy Kuhl has taken at least $17,000 from Tobacco lobbyists, including an additional $1,000 from R.J. Reynolds just one week before the first SCHIP vote. According to the American Cancer Society, the Tobacco industry has fervently opposed children's health insurance as the expansion would have been funded entirely by cigarette purchases.

Because I refuse to accept corporate PAC contributions, I must ask you to consider contributing to our campaign for Congress in New York's 29th Congressional District so that we can beat Big Tobacco.

Your contributions of $4,600, $2,300 $1,000, $500, $100, or $50 could be the difference between giving health insurance to kids or giving Big Tobacco another big break!

When this bill first passed the House of Representatives, it was just 15 votes away from being able to override the Presidential veto, in fact thanks to the support of conservative Senators such as Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) it was veto proof in the Senate. Providing healthcare for children should be a bi-partisan effort and that's why 45 Republican Congressman crossed party lines and voted for SCHIP on its initial passage, but not Randy Kuhl. After President Bush announced he would veto this bill, there were even members who reconsidered their no votes and voted to override the veto today such as Congressman Baron Hill (IN-9) and Congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-7).

Our children don't deserve to be denied health insurance and we cannot allow a handful of rubberstamps to block legislation like SCHIP in the future. We need to build a veto proof majority in the House of Representatives if we want to stamp out the George Bush legacy and start that process right here in New York's 29th Congressional District.

With a difference of just 13 votes today, we need your help to make sure bills like SCHIP pass in the next session of Congress!

Last year, this was a 1% race and because of that, our campaign has been recognized as one of the top seven challenger races in the Nation by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. This is one race that we can win, but I need your help to push our campaign onward to victory.

As always, you can learn more about our campaign at www.massaforcongress.com and I encourage you to contact me by clicking on the "Contact Eric" Button below.

We must work together to bring a higher standard of leadership to Washington for the sake of our children, so I encourage you to get involved however you can.

Thank you,

Eric Massa
Commander US Navy (ret.)
Congressional Candidate, NY-29