SEIU To Hold Event Prior To White House Health Care Summit

SEIU To Hold Event Prior To White House Health Care Summit Monday, March 23rd In Des Moines


On Monday, March 23, 2009 the Obama White House and Iowa's elected officials will lead one of only five national forums to discuss how this Congress and this President can provide quality, affordable coverage to every man, woman, and child in the country.

This will undoubtedly be the most important health care event of the year in Iowa and SEIU/Change that Works will help drive the discussion.

Just down the hall from the summit itself, at 8:45 am, Change that Works will hold an event calling on Iowa’s elected officials to pass a meaningful, comprehensive health care reform bill this year.

The event will highlight the urgent need to pass President Obama’s budget proposal, which Congress is set to debate over the next several weeks. The proposal will secure the funding we need to fix a health care system that has bankrupted one American every 30 seconds and created financial uncertainty for thousands more.

Speakers at the event will include:

Cathy Glasson, RN, President of SEIU Local 199;
Chris Petersen, President of the Iowa Farmers’ Union;
Nancy Nichols, Vice Chair of the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs.

These speakers will discuss how the President’s budget proposal, and the funds allocated to health care reform, will help the Iowans they represent.

“The President’s plan would protect Medicare, working to reduce costs while continuing a commitment to higher quality, close-to-home health care. The budget proposal will result in a stronger, more stable Medicare program. This budget also works to provide more affordable prescription drugs in this country, a cost that is extremely burdensome to Iowa seniors, by establishing a pathway to approve more generic prescriptions,â€