Your Efforts Made It Happen!

By now, you have probably heard about Saturday’s historic vote in the House of Representatives.  The Affordable Health Care for America Act passed on a bipartisan vote of 220 to 215.  Wisconsin union members played a significant role in moving this critical piece of legislation.

Union members and working families in Wisconsin made 3,387 phone calls and wrote 48,521 letters to Congress before the House vote on Saturday night.  

Representatives Tammy Baldwin, Ron Kind, Gwen Moore, David Obey and Steve Kagen were listening.  These five Wisconsin leaders sided with working people, rather than insurance company lobbyists, to pass comprehensive health insurance reform.

“This was a huge test of who will stand with working families versus the moneyed special interests,” said Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President David Newby.  “Working families will remember who fulfilled the promises they were elected on and they will continue to stand with their Representatives who delivered.”

You can thank your Representative with a quick phone call to his or her DC office:

Rep. Tammy Baldwin  (202) 225-2906
Rep. Ron Kind  (202) 225-5506
Rep. Gwen Moore (202) 225-4572
Rep. David Obey (202) 225-3365
Rep. Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665

Although we still have a long way to go to, the passage of this legislation was the necessary first step towards security and stability for our nation’s health care system.   If such legislation becomes law, working families would get much needed relief from skyrocketing health care prices, and uninsured Americans would be able to choose between a public option and private for-profit insurance.
 
The legislation would also help small businesses access quality, affordable health care with lower rates and stable pricing from year to year.  And it would lessen the burden of covering the  uninsured by requiring employers to provide health care for their employees or pay into a common fund.

And last but not least, the House bill is financed in a responsible way – it is fully paid for and would reduce our nation’s rising deficits.  It does not attempt to pay for health care on the backs of middle class working families by increasing taxes on the health care that families are already struggling to pay for.

We have won the battle, but victory is far from certain.  Once the Senate votes on its own bill, the two bills will be reconciled into final health insurance reform legislation.  

Be sure to stay engaged as the Senate addresses the health care crisis.

(Top Photo:  Workers from UFCW Local 1473 hand out health care stickers and flyers at the gates of Klements in Milwaukee.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger. Bottom Photo: Nurses and health care professionals from WFNHP-AFT Local 5001 make phone calls to Congress from their worksite.  Photo Credit: Candice Owley.)