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| For Immediate Release: November 12, 2009 | ||
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Capital District Health Reform Advocates Thank Rep. Tonko for Historic House Vote Urge Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to Vote Yes on Health Care Reform Too Albany, NY – Capital District health care reform advocates from Citizen Action of New York, MoveOn, local labor leaders and other local residents assembled outside Representative Tonko’s office today to thank him for his historic vote to pass the House health care bill last Saturday night. When Rep. Tonko said yes to the Affordable Health Care for America Act, he voted for good, affordable health care for New York’s families and businesses and against lining the pockets of the health insurance industry and other special interests. Members of Citizen Action and MoveOn.org spoke of what passage of this historic legislation will mean for the area. “According to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, this bill will expand coverage to 22,000 of Congressman Tonko’s constituents who currently lack insurance,” said Chris Scoville of Citizen Action of New York. “It will also aid small businesses in providing an opportunity for them to offer coverage to their employees, coverage that has been impossible for them to offer due to prohibitively expensive costs.” Today’s rally was one of more than 140 events taking place nationwide in the next few days thanking Members of Congress who voted to pass the House health care bill and expressing disappointment in those who voted ‘no,’ siding with the insurance industry instead of their constituents. Since Saturday night’s historic vote, pro-reform advocates across the country have been greeting their representatives at airports or visiting their district offices to express their appreciation while Health Care for America Now, AFSCME, and Americans United for Change are running a $1M television ad campaign in 30 congressional districts to thank Members who voted the right way. See the ads here: HealthCareforAmericaNow.org/AboutMore. “New York State families and businesses can no longer wait for good health care we can afford with the choice of a public health insurance option to lower costs and bring true choice and competition to the health insurance marketplace,” said Chris Scoville, organizer for Citizen Action of New York, who coordinates the HCAN campaign locally. “The health insurance industry and other special interests are doing all they can to kill meaningful reform, and we need our elected officials in Congress to stand with us and keep standing with us because if the insurance companies win, we lose.” “We know opponents of reform are going to continue to attack, maybe even turn up the heat on the Senate now that it’s their turn,” said Joe Seeman of MoveOn.org. “It’s important Representative Tonko knows we will continue to stand with him as he holds strong, and our Senators need to know we will do the same for them. Together we can fend off the lies, scare tactics and misinformation, and finally win that guarantee of good, affordable health care our families and businesses need.” ###
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