Archives: Voices

Casey Foundation to Policymakers: Don’t Backtrack on Gains for U.S. Children

Expanded access to health care and tools such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) have improved the well-being of our country’s children. That’s the conclusion of a new report issued by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book shows steady…

Head Smacker: ‘These are not cuts to Medicaid, George.’ Yes they are, Kellyanne.

I’ve had the very meaningful experience of joining people of faith in a vigil overnight outside the Capitol with the goal of saving Medicaid. The speakers are truth-tellers; sadly, that is not the case for some proponents of the Senate health care repeal bill. “These are not cuts to Medicaid,…

We’ve won this battle, but the fight isn’t over

The last few days have been a whirlwind. We started the week geared up to fight against the horrible Senate health care bill that was supposed to be voted on this week. Coalition members alerted their field networks across the country, and millions of advocates like you (and hopefully including…

That nun from Dubuque has a message on health care

Editor’s note: The following op-ed was published Sunday in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. I recently ran into Senator Charles Grassley in the U.S. Capitol. Senator Grassley and I have known each other for years. He refers to me as “that nun from Dubuque.” Senator Grassley and I have always had…

Meanwhile, 1012 miles away…

While the health care debate was front and center in the U.S. Senate this week, the potentially far-reaching effects of health care legislation were the center of attention 1,012 miles away – in front of a federal building in Des Moines, Iowa. A number of Iowa groups, including Main Street…

Senators, Please: Represent your people and protect their future

Editor’s note: The following statement was issued by CHN Executive Director Deborah Weinstein Thursday in response to the proposed Senate health care legislation. The Senate’s long-awaited health care repeal bill has surfaced.  It is a shameful abandonment of millions of people who need health coverage.  After years of promising to…

How Medicaid caps would impact seniors

Editor’s note: This piece was written by Joe Caldwell, PhD, the Director of Long-Term Services and Supports Policy at National Council on Aging. It was originally published on NCOA’s blog on June 19.  The health care debate is full of buzzwords and technical jargon that can make it hard to understand…

The Next Two Weeks in the Senate are Crucial

Editor’s note: This piece was written by Jane Sheehan, Government Affairs Associate at Families USA, and was originally posted on Families USA’s blog on Thursday, June 15. Today, Tuesday, June 20 is a national call-in day to urge senators to reject their super-secret bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act…

The Secret Senate and the Threat to Medicaid

Did you think that the House-passed health care repeal bill was going nowhere in the Senate? Think again. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) was of the opinion in late May that “80 percent of what the House did we’re likely to do.” But the Senate leadership absolutely does not want you…

Resources from around the coalition: The health care edition

Editor’s note: The following blog post is authored by CHN intern Raquel Douglas. 3 million children without insurance. Medicaid cut by almost 50 percent. $1.2 billion in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 23 million people at risk of losing access to affordable health care coverage. Systematic…

‘This is our problem. This is our plague.’

When it comes to describing her state’s opioid crisis, Dr. Cathleen London of Milbridge, Maine does not mince words. “It’s an epidemic because it’s now killing more people than HIV. And more people than the Vietnam War,” she says. “This is an epidemic on par with the plague.” Dr. London’s…