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Health
Care Reform Update: Thank You, Iowans!

Today is a day to celebrate a major step forward in making sure that everyone in our country has access to quality, affordable health care.

Of course more needs to be done, but this bill will help millions of Americans. Rather than debate the Congressional Budget Office figures with the Republicans, tell them they “know the price of everything, but the value of nothing” (thank you Oscar Wilde and Tracy Kurowski)!  Who can deny the value of a bill that will save thousands of lives a year?

Today is also a day to give thanks.

Some of us from Progressive Action for the Common Good stopped by Representative Bruce Braley’s office in Davenport and Representative Phil Hare’s office in Moline to thank the Congressmen and their staffs for their leadership in improving the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our health care system.

Yes, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and most of the Democrats in Congress deserve our gratitude. But it was “we the people” that made them do the right thing. So I want to thank:

The health care activists for strategizing, planning activities, organizing lobbying efforts, and staying in the fight even when faced with failure.

The national and local progressive organizations, too numerous to name, that devoted their resources to the effort and mobilized their members to work for health care reform.

The citizens of Iowa (and Illinois)

    * who cut through all the misinformation to learn the truth, following the legislative process on blogs (a special thanks to BFIA readers!), television, and newspapers
 
    * who went to town hall meetings and other health care reform events
 
    * who wrote letters to the editor
 
    * who talked about reform efforts with their family, friends, and coworkers
 
    * and who wrote, visited, and called their members of Congress over, and over, and …over again. And then did it one more time last week!

You are all generous, caring, committed, civic-minded people who have made a real difference in my life, your neighbors’ lives and health, and the well-being of our country.

Thank you!!!

Alta Price is a physician practicing Pathology in Davenport, Iowa. One of the original Deaniacs, she stays involved with Democracy for America, Iowa, and the Quad Cities. She advocates for quality, affordable health care for all, primarily as a volunteer with Progressive Action for the Common Good (Health Care Reform Issue Forum).  Watch for Dr. Price's Health Care Reform Update every Tuesday here on Blog for Iowa.  E-Mail Alta Price