National Nurses United members from across the U.S. join actions with other activists Wednesday to press Senate members to halt, once and for all, efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and instead guarantee healthcare for every American by enacting Medicare for all.

Actions will include a National Health Care Town Hall and lobby visits to U.S. Senate offices on Capitol Hill.

The RNs will join people with disabilities and life-threatening chronic illnesses, cancer survivors, Medicaid recipients, doctors, and others directly impacted by the proposed repeal of the ACA.

The actions are coming on the heels of the announcement on Monday night by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he is canceling the vote on the Senate health care bill, the so-called Better Care Reconciliation Act, and will move instead to pass a bill to repeal the ACA with no replacement.

WHAT: National Health Care Town Hall, followed by mass actions
WHEN: Wednesday July 19, starting at 1:00 PM
WHERE: Town Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A St SE, Washington DC.

After town hall, patients, nurses and other providers will depart for Senate offices.

Town Hall speakers include:

• Jean Ross, RN, Co-President of National Nurses United
• Carol Paris, MD, President of Physicians for a National Health Program
• Dr. Sanjeev Sriram, Host of “Doctor America” show on We Act Radio
• Patients with serious health conditions sharing their healthcare stories from key states.

“We have a message that we must resist this cruel attempt to deny tens of millions of people access to health care and transfer hundreds of billions of dollars to the very rich and insist on real reform, by passing Medicare for all,” said Jean Ross, RN, co-president of National Nurses United.

“Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s latest effort, to follow up on the failure to pass a ‘replacement’ plan for the ACA by a straight repeal would cause grievous harm for tens of millions of people, with no plan to take its place, adding insult to injury,” said Ross.

“But even with the ACA, far too many people remain without any health coverage, or with unconscionable out of pocket costs for needed medical care,” Ross continued.  “All of the so-called ‘market solutions’ have been tried and do not work because health care is not a commodity, it’s a basic human need.  It is way past time for the United States to join the civilized nations of the world by treating health care as a basic human right and pass Medicare for all.”

RNs from Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas will join in the actions.

They will take part in a National Health Care Town Hall, where healthcare clinicians and patients will share their healthcare stories. Then they will take action at the offices of Republican Senators to demand that their Senators vote against the ACA repeal and instead support a single-payer, Medicare for All healthcare program, that would guarantee that every person living in America has access to safe, therapeutic healthcare.

National Nurses United will lead the actions with Center for Popular Democracy, Housing Works, Rise and Resist, Positive Women’s Network USA, and other organizations.