We Read...You Listen...We ALL Decide
Politico.com Erika Lovley
"If reading the 1,018-page health care bill doesn’t appeal to voters and lawmakers, there’s an easier option: Listen to it..."
The Hill Mike O’Brien
"With all the August recess dyspepsia over whether lawmakers have read the massive healthcare bill before Congress, a group of voice actors have given voice to the legislation -- literally…"
Washington Times Jennifer Harper
“Inside the Beltway recently suggested that William Shatner read the entire 1,018 pages of heath care reform legislation on prime-time television. Then we might get it. But wait. A group of 80 actors has read the entire bill aloud with feeling, and posted their soliloquies online for all to hear…”
WSJ blogs Susan Davis
“Have you even read the bill?!” has been one of the frequent criticisms lobbed at lawmakers during town hall meetings on health care over the August break…”
US News & World Report Peter Roff
“Having gone home with the expectation that they would use the recess period to lobby their constituents in support of Obamacare, members of Congress instead got an earful from the people they represent…”
NY Daily News Michael McAuliff
“A new voice, or rather, voices, are making themselves heard in the health care reform debate, and adding a new wrinkle to the angry shouts of “Read the bill!”
October 9, 2009
Hear the audio version of Senate health care reform bill
Listeners are able to hear the language of the bill before the Senate vote on it
The Senate version of health care reform legislation, The Chairman's Mark: America's Healthy Future Act of 2009, is scheduled to be voted on this Tuesday. Those interested in the contents, but have not yet had time to read it, have another option. An audio version is available at www.hearthebill.org.
The volunteer team of voice actors has been keeping pace with the amendments, modifications, technical corrections and clarifications made to the bill during the past weeks, and edited the mp3 files accordingly. They are available for free download or streaming audio on the site. To listen to it in its entirety would take nearly 17 hours. The text is also available on the site for those who'd like to read it, or read along.
Hearthebill.org was created by voice actors Kathleen Keesling of Colorado and Diane Havens of New Jersey as a public service for the visually impaired and those who prefer audio to text, such as the millions of people who listen to audio books.
"We have been working diligently to keep up with the rapid changes to the bill. Because we have an excellent team of volunteers from across the country and around the world, we are able to make the latest version accessible on audio very quickly, usually within 24 hours," said Keesling.
The nonpartisan, educational website has approaching a million hits and hundreds of subscribers.
"There are many people out there following the legislation closely and we want to make it easier for everyone to do that," said Havens. "It is an encouraging sign that more and more people want to be informed. That is certainly a good sign for the future of our country."
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