Letter to Senators: Vote ‘Yes’ on Senate Amendment 19

January 9th, 2017 

United States Senate
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0103

Dear Senator,
 

On behalf of National Nurses United, the nation’s largest nurses union, we urge you to vote in favor of Senate Amendment 19, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, to amend the Congressional Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2017. This amendment will serve to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid upon which millions of Americans depend.
 

It is essential for the well-being of our patients, their families and communities that the Senate goes on record to stand up for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Amendment 19 rightly invokes President-elect Trump’s pledge not to cut these vital programs, and the Senate should codify his pledge into law.
 

It is a moral imperative that we guarantee healthcare for all as a right, not a privilege, and that seniors have a dignified and secure retirement. Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are essential to the financial and personal security of our society, and particularly our seniors and the disabled; in fact, most Medicaid spending is dedicated to services for seniors.
 

As you well know, and as nurses experience in hospitals every day, budget choices are moral choices. How and where we spend public dollars reveals our values. For nurses, the values of caring, compassion and community must guide our choices, lay the foundation for a healthcare system, and animate our society.
 

Senate Amendment 19 reflects those values. National Nurses United is dedicated to protecting the patients that our nurses care for every day, and we hope you will join us to protect the progress our country has made in social and health security, and to guarantee that security to all. We urge you to vote ‘yes’ on Senate Amendment 19.
 

Sincerely,
 

Deborah Burger, RN
Co-President, National Nurses United

Jean Ross, RN
Co-President, National Nurses United