Efforts to reform health care in the United States are legendary and date back, by some estimates, to the early 1900s. All of the major overhaul proposals have met the same fate: death. In almost every instance, the demise of the plans has been due to the sheer complexity of the issue and weight of the opposition, including the restaurant industry.

But there is a difference between this effort and the footnoted efforts in the history books. This is not to say the reform bill is a certainty, but so much political capital has been invested in the drive that, more than ever before, we must admit the risks have never been greater.

The complexity of the issue and the weight of the opposition have not changed. What has changed is the will of those in power who have recklessly decided to discount the mind-bending complexities and nuances that threaten the very survival of our economic engine: small business.

President Obama, House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid are the driving forces behind this effort, and there is a definite willingness among many rank-and-file members of Congress to follow their lead—without regard to the consequences.

For supporters of the health reform proposals, this is political courage. For the opposition, it’s considered political suicide. Those differing opinions will be sorted out next November.

Over the years operators have stopped proposals that would cripple our industry, while not stopping true reform where health care was made accessible and affordable. As a low-profit-margin, labor-intensive industry, the efforts—most of which included an employer mandate—would have had a disproportionately negative effect on the industry.

California has been on the brink many times on this issue, and operators have been forced to imagine life under many health care schemes. Luckily, we’ve succeeded in opposing the California efforts as the National Restaurant Association in Washington, D.C., has prevailed at the federal level. But that was then; this is now.

If you read the articles, watch the news and listen to the Democratic leaders on the Hill and in the White House, there is an air of inevitability about the discussion. As we’ve learned from the past, the “it’s-going to-happen” mentality is easy to discount because of the many instances of reform failures that have predisposed our expectations of the outcome.

Many members of Congress acknowledge they’re willing to lose their seats if that’s the consequence of voting for the reform measures, which may happen. But in the meantime, we’re dealing with a train that has left the station and is approaching at a high rate of speed.

The Democratic leadership is aiming to put this turkey on the president’s desk in time for his State of the Union address in January. Dawn Sweeney, the president and chief executive of the National Restaurant Association, has been a fixture on Capitol Hill arguing our case, and she has been in the White House multiple times over the last few weeks. As any smart political player would do, she has preserved a seat at the table so she can express our industry’s outrage from the front row, while trying to make a case why our industry needs special attention from the drafters of the reform bill. Below is a call to action from the NRA that highlights the major point it is trying to drive home with the president and the Congressional leadership.

As the NRA continues to fight on Capitol Hill and attempts to mitigate the risk and impact of whatever might come of this reform effort, we need to make this a painful vote for our elected representatives. They need to know the effect this will have on our industry and that we are watching. Best-case scenario is that they change their intention of voting for the ultimate reform measure. Worst-case scenario is that they ignore the devastation their vote would cause us. Somewhere in between is a set of amendments that protect or soften the blow to our industry.

As you know, the Senate recently approved proceeding with debate on health care reform, voting 60 to 39 in favor of bringing the health care bill to the Senate floor. All 58 Democrats were joined by the two independents to reach the 60-vote threshold, with 39 Republicans voting against the move and Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, abstaining.

The Senate began the debate on Nov. 30, with numerous amendments expected. Senators may vote on the bill before the end of the year, at which point the House and Senate versions must be reconciled. Both chambers will have to vote on the final bill before it can be sent to the president’s desk.

While the new Senate bill contains some progress toward the principles the NRA has advocated, it is far from acceptable in its current form.