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| For Immediate Release: April 25, 2009 |
For More Information: Bob Cohen, Citizen Action of New York 518.265.6183 |
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Capital District Residents Rally As Part of National Mobilization for Health Care Reform in 2009
Area Health Care Activists Go Door-to-Door to Mobilize Capital District Support for Health Care Reform as Obama’s Reform Plans Face Critical Test This Week
Capital District Gains a New Health Care Champion As Murphy Wins Election
Albany, NY – In a week in which leading members of Congress will be meeting to put the finishing touches on Congressional budget plans for health care and other vital domestic priorities, area organizations affiliated with the national Health Care for America Now (HCAN) campaign rallied and went door-to-door today to press Congress to pass legislation guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for all in 2009. Health care reform is facing a crucial Congressional test next week as leaders of both houses meet to put together a final budget outline.
The Capital District event today is one of more than 100 events being held in 44 states across the nation in April organized by HCAN — the nation’s largest health care campaign.
“We’re contacting our neighbors today because we know that working families in the Capital District, like those throughout the nation, urgently need health care reform. We’ve got to make sure local residents are heard from in this fight as Congress decides this week whether a minority of Senators will be allowed to have a veto over the health reforms that a majority of Americans want and need,” said Al Ormsby, a board member of the Capital Region Chapter of Citizen Action of York, which leads the HCAN campaign in New York State. “Our current system just doesn’t work for millions of us. The simple fact is that health care today costs too much and doesn’t deliver the quality care we need, whether or not we have health insurance.”
“We’re going to be pressing Congress in the coming weeks to shape legislation based on Health Care for America Now’s principles for reform, which include quality coverage you can afford with comprehensive benefits that meet your needs, the choice of private or public health insurance plans, and equal access to care in all communities,” said Nicole Cook, a Capital District volunteer for Citizen Action of New York. This year provides the greatest opportunity we’ve had in decades to achieve health care for all, and we can’t pass it up. Now that we have a President who’s made it a priority to achieve health care for all this year, New York members of Congress must step up and do the right thing for the people they represent. We’re also excited that we gained a new health care champion yesterday with the victory of Scott Murphy, who endorses our principles for health care reform.”
“I’m outraged to hear the attacks in Congress by Congressional conservatives against a public health insurance plan — the lynchpin of real reform,” said Jim Cullen, area field services director for AFSCME, one of the largest public employee unions in the nation and a member of HCAN’s national
steering committee. “As a labor activist, I believe that it’s essential that Congress creates a public health insurance option as an alternative to private plans to bring down costs and guarantee that quality coverage will be there for people no matter what happens. Unlike private health insurance plans that pay high executive salaries and maximize profits, a public health insurance plan is there just to pay for people’s health care needs.”
The first step to achieving real health care reform in 2009 is passing a budget resolution that mirrors the President’s own financial commitment to change. Controlling costs and ensuring that everyone in America has access to health care is critical to continuing the progress on economic recovery made when Congress passed the President’s recovery and reinvestment act. Earlier this month, both houses of Congress passed their federal budget blueprints, known as budget resolutions; representatives of each house of Congress are meeting this week to hammer out common language. Each resolution included health care reform funding. But a critical difference is that the House version allows a process called “reconciliation” that allows a simple majority of members to authorize funding for health care reform in the budget, but the Senate version would allow the Republican Senate minority to exercise a veto on reform.
“As a small business owner, I am experiencing first hand the difficulties of obtaining health care for myself and my employees,” said Cathy Callan, owner of the Java Jazz Cafe’ in Delmar. “Small businesses have had to go it alone for too long when it comes to health care. We need health care reform in 2009 that will guarantee quality, affordable care that works for small businesses — having the choice of a public health insurance plan will go a long way to creating a more stable, dependable system for small businesses and their employees.”
“We see the effects of our broken health care system each and every day in our community,” said Diane Stangel, a retiree member of the Communication Workers of America, which is also a member of the national HCAN steering committee. “From the patients who wait too long to get treatment for their conditions because they don’t have insurance, to the families who have to choose between paying for life-saving medication or paying their electrical bills, too many are being crushed under the weight of skyrocketing costs and inadequate coverage. This is the year to make quality, affordable health care a reality for everyone in America.”
“As a senior, I see every day that health care out of pocket costs have gone up and up — which is a hardship on people on fixed incomes and employees,” said Carmen Vinales, the President of the Bishop Broderick Resident Association and a member of Statewide Senior Action Council. “No one should have to choose between filling their prescriptions and paying for food, rent and other necessities.”
Health Care for America Now — the nation’s largest health care campaign — is made up of more than 950 organizations representing more than 30 million people nationwide. President Obama and more than 190 Members of Congress support HCAN’s principles for health care reform. All across the country and in New York State in April, HCAN supporters are sponsoring rallies, town halls, marches, and other events to stress the urgent need for health care reform in 2009 — reform that finally puts our health care needs before insurance company profits.
“We know as the debate heats up, insurance companies and Washington lobbyists will do everything they can to derail reform. They will use their deep pockets to try to buy Congress to save their bottom lines,” said Ormsby. “Today’s event is just the beginning. Our voices need to be louder, and our passion stronger. We need Congress to know that we expect quality, affordable health care for all this year.”
Local sponsors of today’s HCAN event are: Citizen Action of New York, AFSCME, CWA, New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, and New York Statewide Senior Action Council.