While we can take a few moments to celebrate the defeat of the Republican Wealthcare Bill yesterday, we have to keep the resistance going against further attacks. And as we fight back, we also need to keep our eye on the prize of universal health care for all. While we’re at it, let’s also find out how to have a little fun during this Resistance Summer.
STOP REPEAL OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Our first job is to finish the struggle to preserve the ACA and keep millions of people from being thrown off the insurance rolls. Although press accounts suggest that Republican efforts to repeal the ACA have crashed and burned, we know they are working overtime to get their backward looking campaign back on track.
Mitch McConnell has already announced that he wants to push for a vote to Repeal the ACA outright, with a vote possible as early as July 24. This repeal and run strategy will be devastating if successful, forcing 32 million off their insurance coverage.
Here’s what to do to help beat this effort back, focusing on our very own Senator who is leading the repeal campaign. Let Pat Toomey know that you oppose ANY effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or cap Medicaid, and risk the lives of millions of children, senior citizens, and disabled Pennsylvanians.
Here’s how to contact Toomey:
DC office: (202) 224-4254
Philadelphia office: (215) 241-1090
Keep the pressure up, keep on resisting! We can win!
HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYBODY
Preserving the ACA is important, but we know that we will never achieve affordable, universal health care until we get the profit motive out of it and move to a Medicare for All system. There are 2 events coming up where we will have an opportunity to explore a healthcare system for all.
Now is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody. A documentary film by Terry Sterrenberg and Laurie Simons interviews healthcare workers and activists across the country fighting to fix America’s broken healthcare system. Following the film, NN Steering Committee member Dr. Walter Tsou, leader of Physicians for a National Health Plan and former Health Commissioner of Philadelphia, will be hosting a discussion on issues discussed in the film as well as the campaign to create a Medicare for all style system in Pennsylvania. July 20, 6-9 pm, Friends Center, 15th & Cherry, Philadelphia.
Socialism & Single Payer: Politics & Promise of Medicare for All. On July 30th, Bernie Sanders will be introducing his long-awaited Medicare-for-All bill into the Senate. At this event a panel of labor activists, healthcare professionals and socialist political thinkers will discuss the features of the bill as well as the prospects and challenges of single-payer activism. July 27, 7-9 pm, First Unitarian Universalist Church, 2125 Chestnut St, Philadelphia.