Kerry: Make Washington Listen to the Needs of Our Kids

[kerrygoddess]

Today, John Kerry held a press conference to kick off a month long campaign to push the Senate Finance Committee for hearings on the Kids First Act. After his press conference, Kerry sent out an email to his 3 million strong email list, urging his supporters to continue to press their Senators to support Kids First.

Here are some of the major points Kerry stressed in his email:

Millions of families wake up every day to the stark reality of knowing their children have no health insurance. Surely, the Senate can wake up one day this spring and devote a few hours to hearing their stories.

Our Kids First momentum is building every day. Organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes, Every Child Matters, and the AFL-CIO have endorsed our Kids First Act. And over 500,000 people have signed on as citizen co-sponsors of our bill. The best way to make Washington listen is to put that total over one million in the next 30 days.

Getting hearings scheduled is so important. Committee hearings separate proposals that have a chance of becoming law from those that aren't ever going to see the light of day. They provide an opportunity for Congress to receive expert testimony on the importance of a bill and provide an opportunity to get vital information into the public record.

Senator Charles Grassley, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has been supportive of children's initiatives in the past. We need him to act now by setting a firm date for the hearings America's children need and deserve.

There are those in Washington who want to ignore those voices and hide from the fact that children without health care translates into needless pain and suffering for millions of American families. But we won't let uninsured children be ignored any longer. We've got to put health care for our children at the top of our national agenda. It won't be easy, but we will never rest until we find a way to make sure America puts Kids First.

This month, it's all about keeping the pressure on for hearings. When members of Congress go back for visits in their home states, we need to make sure they hear a forceful demand for action on the Kids First Act - especially members of the Senate Finance Committee. Thanks for helping keep the pressure on.

You can contact your Senators through our Action Alert on our Health page and if you have a Blog or website we ask that you show your support of Kerry’s Kids First Act by joining in our “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign.

MORE (Press Releases from Org's endorsing Kids First, Background on Kerry's work in the Senate on Healthcare & Links) - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=503

[LittleClarkie]

1. Any word on whether or not this will be shown on CSPAN

was it recorded, I hope?

[kerrygoddess]

3. I have not heard that it was...

Hope so!

[Jesus Saves]

2. Kerry's not going quietly into that good political night

[kerrygoddess]

4. John Kerry Announces Half-Million ‘Citizen Cosponsors’ Of KidsFirst Health

John Kerry Announces Half-Million ‘Citizen Cosponsors’ Of KidsFirst Health Care Plan

17 Million Member Grassroots Coalition Calls for Senate Action

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Washington, D.C. - At a Capitol Hill press conference today, John Kerry unveiled the initial results of his grassroots effort to force Congress to act on his KidsFirst plan to provide health insurance for every child in America, announcing that more than 500,000 people have signed a petition in support of KidsFirst and urging the Senate to act on the legislation.

He was joined by diverse coalition of leading health care, children’s and labor organizations, whose membership totals 17 million Americans.

“Half a million Americans from all 50 states are demanding that we change the way we do business in Washington. They are joined by 17 million members of supporting grassroots organizations who know we must do better by our kids. Parents are asking their government to do what they do every day: put kids first. We know that America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth, but something is wrong when one in four young kids is not immunized, and kids with asthma suffer because they don't have the medicine they need,” Kerry said. “A lot of politicians say the right things. The question is, who talks about kids and who actually puts kids first? We need to act now to insure every child in America.”

Kerry also unveiled the results of the “Give Voices to Our Values” internet campaign that asked people to call a health care hotline with their personal stories of why children’s health care is so important.

More than 20,000 people across the country called with powerful, personal stories. One caller from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said, “When I grew up, we didn’t have health insurance. We got dropped from state aid when I was seven and until I was 20 years old, I didn’t get to go back to the hospital to get checked up on the pulmonary stenosis I’ve had since I was born. Now I’m going to go to medical school, but what’s the point if no once can come and see me as a doctor? So, we need to put kids first.”

Earlier this morning, Kerry sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), calling for a hearing on KidsFirst. Kerry serves on the Finance Committee, and a hearing is one of the initial steps to getting a vote on the bill.

KidsFirst has been endorsed by 15 leading health care, children’s and labor organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, Families USA, Every Child Matters, the AFL-CIO and the March of Dimes.

“We strongly support the KidsFirst Act as a comprehensive approach to protect the health of children who are otherwise uninsured and do not have access to essential health services, such as medical care for acute and chronic illnesses and immunizations,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., FACP, and executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We must remove the financial barriers that discourage states and parents from providing health coverage for children, and we must ensure that all children, especially the millions who live in poverty, are not forced to sacrifice the health care they need to become healthy adults.”

http://kerry.senate.gov/high/record.cfm?id=233105