Jul 02 2009
Thousands Rally and Lobby in Support of Health Care Reform
Last Thursday, ten thousand people from around the country came to Upper Senate Park in Washingto
n, DC to rally in support of a public option for health care. The rally was organized by Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and its partners, including USAction. USAction affiliates, other community organizers and union activists were treated to speeches from Edie Falco (yes, THAT Edie Falco), Dr. 
Howard Dean, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative Allyson Schwartz and a host of other members of Congress. The rally was closed out by USAction President William McNary, who gave an incredible speech and really revved up the crowd (be sure to check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP4uMs8ZXrE). Perhaps one of the most 
compelling parts of the day was listening to the personal stories about struggles with the health care system. Doctors, nurses and ordinary Americans spoke about the need for a public option and why “we can’t wait.”
The rally was followed by a series of lobby visits and town hall meetings where people voiced their support for a public option 
to their members of Congress. Many of these meetings yielded positive results. At the Pennsylvania town hall, for example, Senator Arlen Specter, came out in support of a public option in front of activists from Penn Action and other organizations. Additionally, Illinois Citizen Action signed Representative Daniel Lipinski, Representative Bobby Rush and Senator Roland Burris on to the HCAN statement of principles.
USAction is proud to have been an integral part of the events and contribute to its successes. USAction affiliates turned out more than 1,700 people from 22 states. These activists traveled great distances and braved the heat (and sunburns) to show support for a cause that means so much to all of us.
For the tens of millions of Americans without quality, affordable health care along with their supporters, last Thursday’s rally and lobby day was the culmination of a groundswell of support years in the making. 
USAction Communications Director, David Elliot, summed up the day quite well when he said,
Every year or so we have large rallies and marches in DC and they’re usually either against the war, for or against reproductive choice or for or against GLBT rights. Never in the history of the United States have 10,000 people come together to mobilize around health care.
Indeed, while June 25, 2009 may not be written in the history books, this is an incredible turning point and our predecessors would be proud.
[...] up to $82 million to advance socialized medicine. HCAN rallied 15,000 people in D.C. in April, 10,000 more in June, and with state affiliates like the Maine People’s Alliance, hundreds more in state [...]
[...] up to $82 million to advance socialized medicine. HCAN rallied 15,000 people in D.C. in April, 10,000 more in June, and with state affiliates like the Maine People’s Alliance, hundreds more in state [...]
[...] up to $82 million to advance socialized medicine. HCAN rallied 15,000 people in D.C. in April, 10,000 more in June, and with state affiliates like the Maine People’s Alliance, hundreds more in [...]