From Karen Scharff, Executive Director:
The House of Representatives just took an historic step in creating an America that works for all of us – an America where health is a priority over profit, an America where voters matter more than corporations, an America where people come first.
After decades of pushing back against the conservative view of the world, we are on the verge of redefining what it means for our government to serve the people.
No longer will 45,000 of our neighbors, friends and family members needlessly die each year due to lack of, or insufficient, health care coverage. No longer will you have to pay more because you are sick or because you are a woman. No longer will insurance companies be able to spend so much of your premiums on advertising, overhead, and bonuses.
Because we came together and fought the status quo, we have taken a major step forward in transforming our society – not merely by straightening out the way insurance companies do business, but by making health care a human right. We came together to say that no one in America should have to suffer because of greed. We said America deserves better.
Tonight, 24 of our 28 New York Representatives in Congress did the right thing. We didn’t take a single vote for granted, and it’s because of your hard, tireless work that we won tonight.
Our work, of course, is never done. While we can be very proud of what we’ve accomplished, and of the historic shift we are bringing, we cannot stop. Once the Senate acts and the President signs the bill, we’ll need to keep fighting to win better care and coverage here in New York, including regulation of insurance company rates, and pro-consumer implementation of federal reform. And the health care fight shows that our efforts to pass a system of public financing of elections to get money out of politics is more important than ever.
Tonight’s vote is a symbol of what happens when people with a vision for a better society come together and take collective action to create real change. I hope you know that this victory is because of you, your hard work, and all the thousands of other Citizen Action members who came together with hope, inspiration and the courage to fight for a better future.
Congratulations on this extraordinary victory.
Thanks for all you do,
Karen Scharff
Executive Director
Citizen Action of New York
PS – The movement for change is about people coming together, organizing to build a stronger society. Your involvement is essential to our continued work. Take a minute right now to join Citizen Action of New York as a monthly sustaining member and make a commitment to winning change for years to come. Click here to join now.