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Grassroots Fights on for Public Health Care Option
Born out of a mass rejection of the failed policies of individualism and divisiveness, the Campaign for Community Values is a return to the beliefs our country was founded on: shared responsibility, shared sacrifice and shared success.
Take a look at the great work our partners across the country have done since we last updated you:
Washington – Reflective of the nation’s demands, grassroots groups have intensified the push for an accessible and affordable public plan, addressing health inequities prevalent in poor and minority communities and ensuring everyone is covered, including lifting a 5-year bar for legal immigrants accessing health care services. Thousands of workers descended on the Capitol last week to address their concerns directly to their elected officials, and our actions are making a difference in Capitol Hill.
Ø Today, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released legislation outlining a public option for health care. The Committee’s bill had been held up, among other reasons, by Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) who had reservations about the public option. But after an intense week of pressure from her constituents, Hagan appeared at town hall last week, held in DC and organized by North Carolina residents who came to DC in buses, where she said, “I don’t really care what we call it; as long as it works and as long as it does what is right for the pre-existing conditions, affordability, accessibility, and to be sure that you get the treatment that you need.”
o Video of Sen. Hagan’s remarks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv0s4LcTCuI
Ø California Rep. Xavier Becerra attended a town hall last week in DC organized by the Health Rights Organizing Project where he heard testimonies from people who have been directly affected by racial and economic disparities. Earlier this week, the Tri-Caucus, composed of Congressional Hispanic, Black and Asian and Pacific caucuses, released the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009 to address health disparities in the US. The bill calls for diversity in the health care workforce, supporting research on health inequities plaguing minority populations, and diminishing barriers to health care access.
o Tri-Caucus press release: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/105519
For more information on health care reform events, please contact Germonique Ulmer at gulmer@communitychange.org, (202) 339-9331.
Other health care news:
v Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest helped produce a report which shows health insurance premiums in Nebraska rose three times faster than wages from 2000 to 2007. The report also says the cost of health insurance offered by employers is projected to grow at an annual rate of nearly eight percent, while incomes are expected to increase one percent, making it increasingly difficult for Nebraska’s families to afford health care.
o http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=10582646&nav=menu606_2_4
Polling Shows Americans Strongly Favor Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Earned Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants
WASHINGTON – Americans overwhelmingly support comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to earned citizenship, increased border security and a crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.
The poll, conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group, asked 1,000 likely voters throughout the country if they supported immigration reform. While approximately 2/3 of voters expressed support for reform without knowing the key components of the legislation, a detailed description of a comprehensive reform proposal received support from nearly 9 in 10 voters. The majority of participants perceived an economic and fiscal benefit to immigration reform and want Congress to address the economy and immigration reform simultaneously.
For more information on the poll by America’s Voice, please visit http://amvoice.3cdn.net/ea94778f39d6c895c3_zvm6beppq.pdf
Other immigration news:
v Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition is helping organize a series of discussions about immigration and race. The Dialogue Circles where people can freely share their feelings, opinions and thoughts on race and immigration continue through August.
v Voces de la Frontera helped secure a big win in Wisconsin, successfully pushing for the passage of a law that extends in-state college tuition to undocumented students.
o http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/49470657.html
