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Washington, D.C. - At a Capitol Hill press conference today, John Kerry unveiled the initial results of his grassroots effort to force Congress to act on his KidsFirst plan to provide health insurance for every child in America, announcing that more than 500,000 people have signed a petition in support of KidsFirst and urging the Senate to act on the legislation.
He was joined by diverse coalition of leading health care, children’s and labor organizations, whose membership totals 17 million Americans.
“Half a million Americans from all 50 states are demanding that we change the way we do business in Washington. They are joined by 17 million members of supporting grassroots organizations who know we must do better by our kids. Parents are asking their government to do what they do every day: put kids first. We know that America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth, but something is wrong when one in four young kids is not immunized, and kids with asthma suffer because they don't have the medicine they need,” Kerry said. “A lot of politicians say the right things. The question is, who talks about kids and who actually puts kids first? We need to act now to insure every child in America.”
Kerry also unveiled the results of the “Give Voices to Our Values” internet campaign that asked people to call a health care hotline with their personal stories of why children’s health care is so important.
More than 20,000 people across the country called with powerful, personal stories. One caller from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said, “When I grew up, we didn’t have health insurance. We got dropped from state aid when I was seven and until I was 20 years old, I didn’t get to go back to the hospital to get checked up on the pulmonary stenosis I’ve had since I was born. Now I’m going to go to medical school, but what’s the point if no once can come and see me as a doctor? So, we need to put kids first.”
Earlier this morning, Kerry sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), calling for a hearing on KidsFirst. Kerry serves on the Finance Committee, and a hearing is one of the initial steps to getting a vote on the bill.
KidsFirst has been endorsed by 15 leading health care, children’s and labor organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals, Families USA, Every Child Matters, the AFL-CIO and the March of Dimes.
“We strongly support the KidsFirst Act as a comprehensive approach to protect the health of children who are otherwise uninsured and do not have access to essential health services, such as medical care for acute and chronic illnesses and immunizations,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., FACP, and executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We must remove the financial barriers that discourage states and parents from providing health coverage for children, and we must ensure that all children, especially the millions who live in poverty, are not forced to sacrifice the health care they need to become healthy adults.”
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