“40 Days for Health Reform” to Flood Congress for 48 Hours
*TV Ad in Six Key States, Tens of Thousands of People of Faith Activated to Call Congress*
*Affordability Rally and Lobby Day on Capitol Hill to Follow*
WASHINGTON – Amidst a widespread, grassroots response to President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress last night, the faith community’s “40 Days for Health Reform” campaign will mobilize tens of thousands of people of faith next week to ensure that Congress passes health insurance reform that makes quality health care affordable for every American family.
• On Tuesday, September 15, tens of thousands of people of faith will participate in a major nationwide call-in to Congress. Faith groups will send hundreds of thousands of emails to their networks, and a TV ad urging people of faith to call their Members of Congress will saturate the airwaves in key media markets in 6 states (CO, MO, LA, AR, IN, ND).
• The following day, Wednesday, September 16, local clergy, people of faith and advocates from communities across the country will come to Congress’ doorstep for a lobby day and Capitol Hill Rally for Affordability at the Upper Senate Park at 12:00pm.
Next week’s actions come on the heels of an active August during which the faith community demonstrated widespread support for affordable quality health care for all — 300,000 people listened to the August 19th health care web-cast and call-in with faith leaders and President Obama, clergy in congregations across the country preached about health care reform and called for a civil and honest debate, and the faith community held large public events to build support for affordable health reform nationwide.
Organizations promoting the nationwide call-in day to their members and networks include PICO National Network (www.coverallfamilies.org), Faithful America (www.faithfulamerica.org), Faith in Public Life (www.faithinpubliclife.org), Sojourners (www.sojo.net), Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (www.catholicsinalliance.org), Catholics United (www.catholics-united.org), and the Gamaliel Foundation (www.gamaliel.org). PICO is the lead organizer of the lobby day and Capitol Hill Affordability Rally.
In addition, parallel to this effort, nearly 70 organizational members of the Faithful Reform in Health Care coalition (www.faithfulreform.org) have been working consistently to pass health care reform and will also urge their networks to call Congress on Tuesday.
