For seven weeks, we have stood firm and spoken with one voice: we must save health care for millions of Americans. Donald Trump has made it impossible for families to make ends meet, forcing them to choose between putting food on the table or paying their medical bills. The last thing Americans can afford is their health insurance premiums doubling overnight.

Let me be crystal clear: Donald Trump and the Republican Party that orchestrated this betrayal of the American people are responsible for the men, women, and children who will suffer because they cannot get the health care they need to survive. These are the same people who rushed to vote for tax breaks for billionaires. It is clear whose side they are on.

As this vote moves to the House, I stand with Democratic leadership as they refuse to rubber stamp the full-scale Republican assault on Americans' health care and I am proud of the majority of Senate Democrats who opposed this vote.

The voters will never forget the day Trump turned his back on them so he could focus on building his gilded ballroom

Dear Mr. Martin.

I am happy to hear that you are proud of the Senate Democrats who did not betray the vast majority of Democrats who did not cast votes to undermine the position of strong opposition to the Republican destruction of the ACA and so many other things. I also note that the 8 who were selected to lead this betrayal do not stand for office any time soon, and therefore are beyond the reach of accountability to grass roots Democrats. One can assume that beyond those 8, there were probably other Senators ready to betray us if necessary.

I realize that your job is not involved with day-to-day legislative tactics. However it very definitely IS your job to cultivate the Democratic brand including the values expected of candidates at all levels and the things we are fighting to accomplish. And it is your job to recruit candidates, not just on the basis of their odds of getting more votes than the Republican, but also based on their commitment to the Party ideals and goals.

What happened Sunday may have ended inside the Beltway, but it is nothing less than the complete failure of the DNC to recruit and support candidates that align with the party grass roots and will act to represent us faithfully. It is this failure, in my judgment, that was at the heart of the dispute with Mr. Hogg that ended with your forcing him out of the DNC. Respectfully, I suggest that far more grass roots Democrats agree with Mr. Hogg today than with you and what the DNC represents.

I know the DNC problem did not begin with you. It has been ongoing for more than a generation. I discontinued contributing money to the DNC many years ago for this reason. I do work with our local Dem office and contribute directly to candidates I believe I can trust. I will not resume contributing to the DNC unless I see evidence that you are actively working to fill every seat with strong progressives who align strongly with our base and can be trusted not to undermine the efforts of so many hard-working Democrats at the grass roots level.