AFL-CIO President John Sweeney invoked the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a speech Monday on the importance of health care reform. Sweeney said AFL-CIO will organize to honor Kennedy’s memory and legacy. (0:46)
The “Highway to Health Care Tour”, sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), features a large RV being sent to over a dozen cities in an attempt to rally support for health care reform.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney noted in a speech Monday during the tour’s final stop in D.C. that the project was intended to be a rebuttal of the anti-tax tea parties being put on by conservatives across the country.
“[The tour] spearheaded our huge mobilization over the past month that called on Congress to act now on health reform and countered the tea baggers fronting for the insurance companies,” Sweeney said. (0:23)
From Families USA parking a slogan covered ambulance on Capitol Hill to activists passing out pacifiers in the halls of the Senate office buildings, the health care reform debate has been responsible for a great deal of political theater inside the Beltway. However, a recent project from a leading labor organization has brought a colorful portrayal of the reform message beyond the D.C. setting.
The “Highway to Health Care Tour”, sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), features a large RV being sent to over a dozen cities in an attempt to rally support for health care reform.
“We chose a kind of fun rock and roll motif,” said AFSCME Legislative Specialist Blaine Rummel, describing the RV’s florid paint job. “I think this stands in sharp contrast to what opponents of reform have been doing in the past few weeks with their negativity and mob mentality.”
Rummel, who went on the tour, said that the highlight of the three week trip was encountering supportive crowds, which Rummel claims numbered in the hundreds in some cities.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney noted in a speech Monday during the tour’s final stop in D.C. that the project was intended to be a rebuttal of the anti-tax tea parties being put on by conservatives across the country.
“[The tour] spearheaded our huge mobilization over the past month that called on Congress to act now on health reform and countered the tea baggers fronting for the insurance companies,” Sweeney said.
Ed Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, criticizes former President George W. Bush for neglecting to invest money in the transportation industry. Wytkind praises the Obama administration for doing so (0:40).
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on “Rising Costs, Low Quality in Health Care: The Necessity for Reform” where Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said the health care system needs to be reformed so all Americans have access to affordable and high quality health care. Elizabeth McGlynn, Ph.D, associate director of RAND Health and distinguished chair in health quality, said that she has found that on average, “American adults received just 55 percent of recommended care for the leading causes of death and disability.” She also said that “We spend nearly two trillion dollars annually on health care and we get it right about half the time” and that “poor quality is deadly.” (more…)
