On Eve of Vote to Move Health Care Forward, Pastors Pray for Courage and Wisdom in the Senate
With Senate preparing for a weekend vote to open floor debate, clergy from key states highlight what’s at stake for families in health reform
WASHINGTON — As the Senate prepares for a weekend vote to open floor debate on health care reform legislation, local pastors and lay leaders will travel from Louisiana, Nebraska, Michigan, Colorado and other key states to meet with and pray for their Senators. They will gather on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the East Lawn of the Capitol Building to pray that families in their congregations can head into the beginning of the holiday season next week assured that the Senate will courageously follow the House’s lead and pass health reform legislation that makes coverage truly affordable for families before Christmas. They will then proceed to the Capitol Visitor’s Center, where Senate Majority Leader Reid will introduce the Senate’s long-awaited health reform bill at noon.
In addition to meeting with the offices of key Members and Senators on Thursday, over the coming weeks, PICO National Network, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Interfaith Worker Justice, Catholics United and other faith allies will be holding religious leader conference calls and meetings with Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Senator Kent Conrad (ND), Senator Byron Dorgan (ND) and Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska’s Chief of Staff, urging them to support reform and highlighting the devastating impact on families in their states if reform fails to pass.
WHO:
Rev. Frederick McCullough, Pastor of St. John AME, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Omaha, NE
Rev. Erik Karas, Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, PICO Colorado, Eaton, CO
Rev. Claudia Hollinger, Deacon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Flint Area Congregations Together, Flint, MI
Sam Johnson, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Faith United Empowering Leadership, New Roads, LA
Stella Reese, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, Micah Project, New Orleans, LA
Gordon Duvall, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Metro Organizations for People, Denver, CO
Cheryl Fleetwood, Central Presbyterian Church, Metro Organizations for People, Denver, CO
Kathy Bonilla, First Unitarian Universalist Society, Vermont Interfaith Action, Burlington, VT
Susan Reid, Christ Episcopal Church, Vermont Interfaith Action, Burlington, VT
Loretta Lucas & Claire Sejour, Our Lady of Refuge Church, Brooklyn Congregations United, Brooklyn, NY
Yva Cantave, Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church, Brooklyn Congregations United, Brooklyn, NY
WHAT: Clergy and Lay Leaders Pray for Wisdom and Courage in the Senate to Make Progress on Health Care Reform for Families
WHEN: Thursday, November 19 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: East Lawn of the Capitol Building, Senate side
The event is sponsored by PICO National Network (www.piconetwork.org), Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (www.catholicsinalliance.org) and Faith in Public Life (www.faithinpubliclife.org).
