1199 Members Join Forces with New York State Governor and City Mayor in Campaign to Protect Affordable Healthcare
July 27, 2017
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visited the 1199SEIU call center on July 19th to demonstrate his appreciation for the hundreds of members who have been ‘burning up the phones’ to make sure US Senators vote ‘No’ on any bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Earlier in the same week, NY State Governor, Andrew Cuomo led a ‘Save our Healhcare’ rally at Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan attended by hundreds of healthcare workers and their political allies.
The number of people who support former President Obama’s initiative has grown since the Republicans began their attempts to destroy it, said the Mayor, addressing 1199SEIU members.
“We should be proud of the fact that a huge movement has been built to protect affordable healthcare,” he added. “One of the reasons that President Trump has been so energetic around this issue is that the Affordable Care Act included significant tax breaks for the wealthy. Above all, efforts to repeal the ACA are about putting money back into the pockets of those who have so much already.”
1199SEIU delegate Denise St Bernard, a PCT at Kingsbrook Hospital in Brooklyn agreed. “Repealing the ACA would be a disaster for our community, where a lot of people depend on Medicaid,” she said, “The mayor says the Republicans are more interested in wealthcare than healthcare…and he’s right.”
Sukoya Charles, a Home Health Aide and 1199SEIU delegate who works for Premier Home Care, added: “I love our partnership with the NYC Mayor. We fought for him to help him get elected and he’s still on the fighting lines with us.”
Janet Agyemang is a CNA at Montefiore Weiler Division Hospital in the Bronx and has been an 1199SEIU delegate for the past eight years. She works in a heart unit and reports that since the ACA came in they are seeing fewer people who have reached a critical stage because they could not afford primary care. “If they cut Medicaid, we know we will see job cuts and we won’t be able to take care of all the people in the community that need our help,” she said.
Earlier that week the New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, led a rally at Mount Sinai hospital in Manhattan attended by hundreds of healthcare workers and their political allies.
Governor Cuomo said his primary role was to protect the people of the state of New York and that is why he was doing everything he could to fight any moves to repeal and replace the ACA.
“The latest version of the bill would have cut $8 billion from Medicaid funding. That means that more than a million New Yorkers who work in healthcare would have their jobs jeopardized.
“It is not smart and it’s not right. The Republicans in Washington are not talking about changing healthcare provision for all….just the poor people. It is our seniors, our disabled and our veterans that they don’t want to pay for.” Also in attendance was the New York State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman. He told the crowd: “Americans believe in healthcare for all. We’re going to send the legislation the Republicans are proposing on a one-way trip to the scrapheap of history.”
He vowed to bring a lawsuit against the Federal Government if anything resembling the current legislation were to be passed. He would challenge the law on constitutional grounds, he said.
Carl Heastie, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly added: “What good is a health insurance plan if it covers almost nothing, like some of the insurance policies the Republicans want to allow under their legislation.
“We need to tell Republicans in Washington to be Republicants on voting for changes to healthcare. It is unconscionable to take away coverage from so many people.”
Mayor de Blasio was also at the Mount Sinai rally. He said: “Senators won’t even have Town Halls any more. They are scared to face their constituents.
“Let’s be clear, if the Senate bill passes, Americans will die. New Yorkers will die. Let’s now act like our lives depend on it. Because they do!”