This story was reported for the San Diego News Network on August 11, 2009.
Religious Americans ready for health care reform are turning up the pressure on lawmakers Tuesday with nationwide rallies asking for change by the end of 2009.
The organizations, led by the faith-based PICO (Pacific Institute for Community Organizations) National Network, have planned a 40-day-long campaign that will include meetings with more than 100 Congressional members sharing stories of 500 uninsured Americans and the broadcast of a national commercial.
“It don’t [doesn’t] take a high school or college degree to understand us,” said Gloria Cooper, San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP) leader. “Americans want health care reform and we want it this year.”
Members of SDOP — a local faith-based organization which has been extremely vocal in its support for government-assisted health care – gathered with other community leaders Tuesday to express their thoughts about President Obama’s health care plan that’s been swimming through murky waters since he’s been inaugurated.
The religious leaders, along with uninsured San Diegans, met at San Diego’s federal building and criticized lawmakers for taking their usual summer recess. While holding signs stating “No recess for health reform,” they demanded that the health care system be reformed by the year’s end.
According to SDOP, 510,000 San Diegans were uninsured in fiscal year 2007, 7 million in California and roughly 45 million nationally (see chart). Although, figures for 2008 have not been collected – experts estimate that 15,000 Americans have lost health care coverage every day since the start of 2009. In addition, 365,000 Americans loss their job last year – leaving them uninsured.
“Any of us can be next,” said Robert Fambrini of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. “Families are suffering from the lack of affordable health care and ever-increasing premiums.”
Jamie Carrillo, is just one San Diegan, who falls under the uninsured category. A college grad, Carrillo said he was nearly broke.
“I’m an accident away from bankruptcy,” Carrillo said. “I have no health insurance and neither does most of my family. I shouldn’t be feeling this desperation for a supposed-to-be-educated, employed [person].”
Carrillo said years ago his brother hurt his shoulder while playing with neighborhood kids and his family had to pay roughly $40,000 for his hospital visits. Years later, Carrillo said “we’re still paying for it.”
Karen McManus also had a brother who faced an uninsured situation. However, she said, her brother Richard lost his life. She said Richard, died at 56 from a heart condition that required daily medication — despite being a paralegal, his firm didn’t offer health insurance and his salary was too high for government-assisted health care, nor could he even afford his prescription.
“I believe he would still be here with me today if he had access to health care,” McManus said. “[Health care reform is] the right thing to do.”
Although two health care bills are currently under consideration from house and senate committees, nationwide lawmakers are taking their legislative summer recess, leaving those two bills at the tables of committees. Both bills would assist Americans in finding affordable health care while requiring larger companies to provide health care to its employees.
Two congressional leaders are however, holding town-hall-style meetings to address health care concerns despite the summer break. Rep. Brian Bilbray held a meeting Monday while Rep. Susan Davis will hold one Tuesday evening at the Joyce Beers Community Center. Both represent districts in San Diego County.
President Obama has also carried on his town-hall meetings in Portsmouth, N.H., promising that Americans would soon have access to affordable coverage. In addition, the president was forced to defend his plan against never-ending critics and skeptics.
But with religious groups now taking a side, the debate may become even more heated.
Wilbert Miller, SDOP member and pastor of the First Lutheran Church of San Diego, said religious groups were getting involved in the health care debate because of scriptures found in the Bible. Referencing a verse from Jeremiah, he said “For the hurt of my poor people, I am hurt.”
“Our nation’s health care system is sick,” Miller said.
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.