WASHINGTON, DC - Change to Win Chair and SEIU International Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger issued the following statement after participating in today's White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit:

Today under President Obama's leadership, representatives from government, civil society, academia, business and labor united as a country to get our economy back on track.

"One thing we know is that to meet this challenge, we must tackle one of the biggest causes of economic insecurity for families: our broken healthcare system.

"There are almost 47 million Americans with no health insurance. All over this country, hardworking men and women - some who work two and three jobs -cannot afford health insurance. And every day, 14,000 more Americans lose their health coverage, costs keep rising, and the drag on the economy grows.

"We cannot build a strong and stable economy when too many people remain one health crisis away from financial ruin. That's why Democrats, Republicans, business, and labor are joining together: to find a solution that gets our economy and healthcare system back on track.

"President Obama and Congress have made significant down payments on healthcare reform, but it is only a start. We must resist the temptation as we go forward to find quick fixes and 'band-aid' measures at the expense of a comprehensive package of reforms.

"President Obama--by approaching the economic challenges before us with a commitment to fiscal responsibility and a willingness to make necessary reforms and critical investments in education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure--is laying the groundwork now for a thriving economy in the years to come. Now is the time to make the big reforms necessary to bring about a real solution and deliver affordable and accessible healthcare to every man, woman and child in America."

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