Americans and Front Line Caregivers to speak to lives saved by landmark health reforms

U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Governor Deval Patrick and Victoria Kennedy to address delegates

Charlotte, N.C. forum set for Sept. 5 at NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum

Washington, D.C.--A forum at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum during the Democratic National Convention will bring together the nation's leading health care visionaries, nurses, doctors and healthcare workers and Democratic activists to celebrate the historic Supreme Court victory of the Affordable Care Act and discuss what's at stake for Americans and health care in this election.

Confirmed speakers include Victoria Kennedy, U.S. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA). Additional speakers that have been invited to the Wednesday, Sept. 5, event include U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), and U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).

The event is being organized by Families USA and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The organizers say that forum speakers will spotlight the tremendous gains American families have made under the most important health care reform law since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, and they will detail the political threats posed to those gains in this election.

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act have lost the argument that the law is unconstitutional, and they have vowed to repeal it," said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA. "They have also promised to end Medicare as we know it--leaving seniors to negotiate with insurance companies on their own. They want to slash Medicaid, shifting costs to states and to the working families, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities who rely on it."

"Our challenge is to make clear to our fellow Americans the choice at hand," said Mary Kay Henry, President of SEIU. "President Obama would continue to protect and strengthen our health care system so that it works for all of us - no matter how young or how old, what we do for a living or how much we earn. We cannot afford to let Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan and the 1% move our country backward to a health care system that only the very wealthy and very lucky can afford."

Organizers are seeking to make this forum on health care issues one of the most important public gatherings of health care experts ahead of the November election.

WHAT: Families USA and SEIU Forum "Moving America Forward:
Health Care Visionaries and Voices from the Front Lines"

WHEN: 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012

WHERE: NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum
400 East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Charlotte, NC

WHO: U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President
Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees
International Union (SEIU)
U.S. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer
Victoria Kennedy
U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Vivek Murthy, M.D., President, Doctors for America
Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA)
U.S. House Leader Nancy Pelosi
Ron Pollack, Executive Director, Families USA
Governor Peter Shumlin (D- VT)





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