HealthCareForAmericaNow

Senator Burris, Rep. Rush and Rep. Lipinski Sign on

Washington, DC - On Thursday June 25, 2009, Health Care for America Now (HCAN) - the nation’s largest health care campaign - held a large-scale rally at Upper Senate Park in Washington, DC and conducted the largest health care lobby day ever with more than 300 visits to Congressional offices on the Hill.  17 leaders from Illinois joined 15,000 health care leaders from across the country to lobby their congressional members and make sure the media knows exactly what we expect from health care reform.

Actress Edie Falco, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ),Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, Labor and Community leaders, doctors, nurses, and everyday people with health care stories addressed a crowd of 15,000 who traveled to the nation’s capital from across the country to demand quality, affordable health care for all in 2009.

After the rally, constituents from 36 states and DC fanned out across the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress, conducting close to 300 visits.  HCAN-Illinois leaders met with 13 members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, and they were successful in getting Senator Burris, Representative Rush and Representative Lipinski to sign onto the President’s health care plan, which includes a strong public health insurance option.  That brings the total number of Illinois Congressional members on board to 10 of the 19 members.  To date, Senator Durbin, Senator Burris, Representative Rush (D-1), Representative Jackson (D-2), Representative Lipinski ((D-3), Representative Gutierrez (D-4), Representative Davis (D-7), Representative Schakowsky (D-9), Representative Halvorson (D-11), and Representative Hare (D-17) have signed onto the Obama / HCAN plan.

Thirteen town halls also took place throughout the day - three issue-based (health equities, providers, and small businesses) and ten state-based (Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and West Virginia) gatherings. After much grassroots pressure, Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) showed up at the North Carolina town hall at the Mott House, gave brief remarks, and was encouraged by her constituents to support a robust public health insurance option. Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) appeared before a Pennsylvania town hall at Capitol City Brewing Company where he - for the first time -endorsed Senator Chuck Schumer’s proposal for a strong public health insurance option.

HCAN-Illinois members will continue to reach out to Congressional members over the summer, including parades over the 4^th of July weekend and a National Call-in day on July 8^th.