UFCW International President Joe Hansen represented UFCW members everywhere at last week’s historic signing of the American health care reform bill by U.S. President Barack Obama.
 

“Thanks to the commitment of President Obama and Democratic Members of Congress, we now have health care reform legislation that has eluded our nation’s grasp for a century,” President Hansen says. “This is an achievement that will rank among the highest in our national experience.”

While the health care reform bill passed by Congress is an important victory, President Hansen noted the job wasn’t complete. An important package of improvements to the bill has been passed by the House, but had yet to be passed by the Senate. UFCW and other activists were working overtime to convince Senators to get the amendments passed last week.

“UFCW members participated in the health care debate in nearly every congressional district across the country,” President Hansen says. “They made calls and wrote letters, rallied and marched, visited district offices, and travelled to Washington, D.C., to meet with elected representatives.

“UFCW members won’t forget the representatives who voted ‘yes’ on these reforms and stood with working people and families rather than the insurance company lobbyists.”

The complex bill passed by the U.S. government falls short of the level of socialized medicine Canadians enjoy, but makes major improvements to the system, including significantly greater access to health insurance for millions of uninsured Americans.

DIRECTIONS • Vol. X No. 12 • March 29, 2010