Health Care Workers Occupy Congress, Urge Lawmakers To Generate Jobs—Not Health Care Cuts

Health Care Jobs Heal Economy While Protecting Lives of Seniors and Families

Washington, D.C. — Hundreds of health care workers will join with people helped by Medicaid and Medicare at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7, to call on Congress to focus on creating jobs rather than proposing budget cuts that harm patients and eliminate jobs from our weak economy. The event is part of a week of actions in support of the “Take Back the Capitol” initiative.

Nationally, the health care sector is the nation’s top job creator, generating 20 percent of the country’s new jobs over the past year. Repeated proposals to slash health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare jeopardize job growth and economic recovery, as well as the health of countless seniors, children, people with disabilities and working families.

On Wednesday, health care workers from around the country will tell personal stories about how Medicaid and Medicare benefits ensure their economic security while providing critically important services to the people they serve.

Tomorrow, members of Caring Across Generations (CAG), Health Care for America Now (HCAN), Campaign for Community Change (CCC), the Rev. Paul Sherry (DC public policy director of Interfaith Workers Justice), William McNary (president of USAction) will all be at the Heated Tent at National Mall between 9th  ST NW  and 14th   ST NW in Washington, DC at the Speak-Out Rally, urging Congress to fix the economy through health care jobs, not health care cuts.  The event will begin at 10:30 AM and is co-sponsored by AFSCME, Alliance for a Just Society, Campaign for Community Change, Caring Across Generations, Health Care for America Now, Jobs with Justice, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National People’s Action, PICO Network, SEIU, USAction.

Millions and millions of Everyday Superheros do the hard work of caring for each other through programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. A new study shows that the Health Care sector is the top job creator in the country(1).

It is crucial that we keep telling Congress that we need Jobs, not Cuts to Healthcare!

The Caring Across Generations movement is collecting the stories of Everyday Superheroes of the 99%, because Congress needs to hear the stories of the everyday superheroes who do the work of caring for our loved ones and communities. They need to hear that we need jobs, not cuts to our care programs. Tell us who your Superhero is!