House Passes Health Care Reform Bills

We did it!  Thanks so much to our northern Ohio breast cancer activists for all your help making calls, sending emails and lobbying on Capitol Hill.  Your work was incredibly important in gaining passage of this historic legislation.

We began our work on health care reform in 2001.  At a time when most others didn't understand the need for health care reform, breast cancer activists knew all too well that women were losing the battle against this disease simply because they lacked access to timely, affordable screening and treatment.

Thanks so much to National Breast Cancer Coalition for all their hard work over the years in both policy analysis and development as well as legislative action. Thanks also to key northern Ohio leaders in Congress like Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Rep. Tim Ryan and Rep. Betty Sutton who didn't need to be persuaded to understand the health care crisis breast cancer survivors faced and the utter futility in "finding a cure" when so many patients had no access to treatment. Like us, they awoke every day thinking of what they could do to solve this problem.

The effort for affordable, quality health care for all isn't complete. The Senate still has legislative fixes to pass and there are many improvements needed to ensure cost control, patient protection and adequate enforcement of regulations.   But we're well on the way to our goal of affordable, quality health care for all.  So let's celebrate!

Health Care Reform Bill - Ohio Whip Count - Update #3

Northern Ohio breast cancer activists are celebrating the latest news that northern Ohio representatives Dennis Kucinich, John Boccieri, Charlie Wilson and Betty Sutton are all planning to vote for the health care reform bill in the House.

Thanks to all of them for stepping up and making the decision to help over 31 million uninsured Americans get affordable health care.  Make sure to call their offices and give them your thanks!

Updated to add 2 new members to the "yes" column - Reps. Marcia Fudge & Mary Jo Kilroy.  Thanks, Ladies!

Update #2 -  Rep. Marcy Kaptur is leaning "yes" on the vote, per the Toledo Blade.

Update #3 - Rep. Marcy Kaptur confirms she will vote "yes" link

Below is the latest "whip" count for all northern Ohio representatives on the critical HCR vote:

Voting "Yes"

Rep. John Boccieri (OH-16)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)
Rep. Timothy Ryan (OH-17)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH-13)
Rep. Charlie Wilson (OH-6)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)

Undecided

Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
Rep. Zach Space (OH-18)
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)

Voting "No"

Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4)
Rep. Steve LaTourette (OH-14)
Rep. Robert Latta (OH-5)
Rep. Patrick Tiberi (OH-12)

Please call the House members who have pledged to vote "yes" and thank them! And call the members who are undecided and ask them to vote "yes"!   It appears the vote will take place this Sunday, so call today!


Link to National Breast Cancer Coalition's Action Center

Let's make this happen!