For Immediate Release
Thursday, September 10, 2009
AFSCME: “We’re With President Obama”
Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee on President Barack Obama’s speech urging Congress to pass meaningful health care reform
Washington, DC —“With his speech to Congress last night, President Obama re-energized the forces for reform and has set a clear path for victory. We’re going to do our part and hold Congress accountable – the time has come for Congress to put people above profits and enact real health care reform. We’re also going to pull out all the stops to take on the insurance industry. The President’s right – ‘The time for games has passed – now is the season for action.’
“President Obama made clear his support of a public option, which is just that – an option that will help improve quality, lower costs and keep the insurance companies in check.
“It is unfortunate that he had to dispel so many of the fears that have been riled up by right-wing scare tactics, but he did so forcefully and effectively. He also raised the stakes for all of us – powerfully declaring the moral necessity of providing quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
“We’re with him. AFSCME has committed an unprecedented amount of resources and energy to this effort – including ads, canvassing, phone calls, online activities and the deployment of dozens of campaign field organizers to key states – and we’re going to continue to do all we can to ensure that, as President Obama said, he becomes the last president to have to make the case for health care reform.”
