Former Congresswoman Dahlkemper joins the effort

Democrats in Pennsylvania aren’t ceding any ground in the debate over health care reform. Activists across the state are preparing to challenge Republicans in moderate districts in the run-up to the House vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and they’re getting help from a familiar face.

“In PA Reps Gerlach, Meehan, Fitzpatrick, Barletta and Dent represent directs that the President carried in 2008 and in the coming weeks and months they will be under close scrutiny,” said a national Democratic official. “In the coming days we’ll have events in their district targeting these members.”

“They will be monitored to see if they will focus on a typical partisan political game as their first order of business.”

The first event, a statewide conference call with former Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper and PA Democratic Chairman Jim Burn, is scheduled for Monday.

“OFA supporters worked hard to pass the Affordable Care Act and are committed to ensuring that Republicans do not repeal reform, which will return control back to the insurance companies, cause the deficit to explode, and once again cripple families and small-businesses with sky-rocketing health care costs,” said Organizing for America Spokeswoman Kerri Axelrod.

It’s part of a national effort by Democrats to refocus the narrative on health care reform on its economic benefits: help for small businesses and estimated deficit reduction.

Ultimately, Dems want to make the repeal vote a referendum on most popular parts of the bill.

“Insurance companies can longer deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions, parents can choose to have their children stay on their health care plan until they are 26, and seniors can now receive free preventative care and pay less out-of-pocket for prescription drugs,” said Axelrod.

Presently, Pennsylvania’s entire Republican House delegation appears poised to vote in favor of repeal.