Barbara Boxer

* Concerning the “Boxer Rebellion” (Sept. 22), which was launched by Americans for Democratic Action and other supporters of a single-payer health-care system, my quotation was taken out of context. What I said was, “Sen. Boxer has been excellent on a variety of issues, including abortion rights, gay rights, the environment and many others. Health-care reform and immigration do not happen to be among them. Those of us who worked to elect Barbara Boxer with the understanding that she supported real health-care reform feel that she has sold us out on this issue.”

Those of us who are active in the “Boxer Rebellion” are active around health-care reform. We believe it is the most important issue of the day and that President Clinton’s proposal does not measure up to Sen. Paul Wellstone’s (D-Minn.) single-payer bill.

We believe that the President’s proposal will create a system in which health care is rationed by income. In fact, Boxer’s opposition to Sen. Wellstone’s amendment requiring members of Congress to participate in the lowest tier of the President’s plan suggests that even she recognizes it would provide substandard care, which would be forced on thousands of poor Americans.

We certainly feel that Boxer has been a leader on many progressive issues, but that she is on the wrong side of this one. We also recognize that legislators inclined to fight for progressive causes need to know they have the support of an informed and mobilized constituency; we want Sen. Boxer to know that we have the troops when she is ready to do battle for all of the people.

DANA HOHN

Executive Director

So. Calif. Americans for Democratic Action