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| HCAN Activists and Working Families Win Protest Boehners Office |
| Posted by Steve Chaffin (steve) on May 28 2009 at 10:56 AM |
Activists from Health Care for America Now (HCAN) which includes Working Families Win delivered a stack of dirty laundry to U.S. Rep. John Boehner’s West Chester Twp. office Wednesday, May 27, to protest his stance on health care reform.
The 14 T-shirts had messages written on them, many from a nearby low-income neighborhood. Activists had canvassed the area around Boehners district earlier in the day talking to residents about their health care horror stories.
“I have breast cancer — a pre-existing condition. I can’t get health coverage. Please Mr. Boehner, support health care for Americans now,” read one T-shirt signed by “Cassandra.”
“I lost my insurance because I couldn’t get enough hours at work,” another read.
Boehner, had been targeted , because of his record of opposing expansion of publicly funded healthcare.
The activists tried to meet with the Congressman to tell him about the stories of residents in his district about Health Care.
“These health insurance companies have a lot of dirty laundry to air,” said Ohio ACORN Director Amy Teitelman. “We want Rep. Boehner to be on the side of the people who made these T-shirts, not on the side of health insurance companies.”
“(Boehner) has voted consistently against expanding healthcare, and we’re trying to get him to see it’s hurting his constituency,” said ACORN organizer Debra Hentnik.
Boehner wasn’t in his office, but a staffer there politely took the shirts and asked the group of volunteers and organizers to fill out constituent comment forms.
Boehner Spokeswoman Jessica Towhey said Boehner “strongly believes in providing every American access to affordable, quality health care.” What he opposes, she said, is “rationing care, eliminating employer-sponsored benefits for working families, raising taxes or putting the government in the middle of decisions that should be made by doctors and patients.”
Boehners record was shared with constituents it includes
* Voted NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health
* Voted NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility.
* Voted YES on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay.
* Voted YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.
* Rated 0% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record.
Many of Boehners constituents were surprised to learn about their Congressmans record which of course the local media didnt report .
Working Families Win will continue to work with our allies in the area and to build support for a strong robust Public Health Care Option.