Election-Year Effort Targets Seven Key Races To Tip Balance Toward Health Care Fix in 2009

 
WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU, the largest union of health care workers in North America, today announced a new campaign to elect a health care majority in Congress.  The effort, which will target competitive races in seven states, is designed to solidify Congressional support for comprehensive health care reform, and send a clear message to lawmakers that health care must be their number one priority in 2009.
 
"The American people are ready for a real solution to the health care crisis,"said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger.  "It's not enough to win on November 4th.  We must win affordable health care that every man, woman and child in this country can count on.  And for that, we need to send people to Washington who are committed to getting it done."
 
The campaign will target 5 House and 2 Senate races with an aggressive voter contact plan, including mail, phone calls, and earned and paid media.  Accountability will be a central theme of the campaign, which will provide voters with detailed information on voting records and positions on health care.  The targeted races are:

• New Hampshire Senate - Incumbent John Sununu has consistently voted to support insurance company profits over seniors' health care, and has proposed health care policies that would jeopardize the ability for average Americans to get quality, affordable coverage.
• Colorado Senate - Candidate Bob Schaffer called health care for all "fascist"and voted against adequate funding for veterans' health care.
• Missouri, 6th Congressional District - Incumbent Sam Graves voted against the children's health care bill and against letting the federal government negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices for seniors.
• Michigan, 9th Congressional District - Incumbent Joe Knollenberg voted against the children's health care bill and against letting the federal government negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices for seniors.
• Minnesota, 3rd Congressional District - As a state representative, candidate Erik Paulsen voted to take health coverage away from 26,000 adults and children.
• Ohio, 1st Congressional District - Incumbent Steve Chabot voted against the children's health care bill.
• Virginia, 2nd Congressional District - Incumbent Thelma Drake voted against the children's health care bill and against letting the federal government negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices for seniors.

The new project is part of SEIU's sweeping election-year effort to elect a new President and Congress committed to fixing health care - and then tap into that same energy to ensure those newly elected leaders immediately pass comprehensive legislation to make quality health care affordable for everyone.

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