The summer recess is traditionally when members of Congress answer their constituents' questions about matters of policy in Washington, and Democrats are preparing this summer to answer questions about the Affordable Care Act, whose key provisions start coming into place in September.
A document circulated to House Democrats by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — and obtained by BuzzFeed — offers some details of the timing of the health-care plan: Rates and details of plans will become public in September for the 34 states that haven't put together their own plans.
The goals, Pelosi writes in a "dear colleague" letter that begins the document, are "to educate our constituents about the new law, help to implement it, and strengthen the hands of those who have worked for this historic reform."
The document is also optimistic about the cost of these plans: "A significant majority of people in the new Marketplaces will pay the same or less than they do for their coverage right now," it says, citing tax credits available for health-care premiums.
The pamphlet focuses on detailed advice for how to sell the legislation to specific groups of people.
"Do an event on being a woman no longer being treated as a 'pre-existing condition,'" it advises.
The document also advises politicians to work with a series of groups, including the women's health group Planned Parenthood, which is loathed by anti-abortion advocates.
