Indivisible East Bay joined Indivisible SF and allies on July 18th to participate in the first Indivisible National Day of Action to fight the Republicans’ relentless attempts to steal health care and insurance from millions of people.
We celebrated the previous day’s big win, the defeat of the latest horrendous incarnation of Trump’s Zombie WealthCare bill in the Senate. But until the bill has a stake through its heart, we continue to resist!
We wrote cards and signed “Certificates of Appreciation” to Senators Feinstein and Harris for their tireless work in fighting the repeal of the ACA.
We spoke the truth of our personal stories about pre-existing conditions, exorbitant medication costs, and the critical need to have adequate health insurance to cover cancer treatments.
Those without creaky bones even performed a compelling die-in on the sidewalk.
The Senator’s staffer Tom Paulino arrived to listen to our comments and field questions about Feinstein’s positions on a range of issues. He thanked us warmly for our phone calls, texts and faxes, and for sharing personal stories with the Senator’s office that she incorporates into her strategy to fight the administration.
On health care, we asked Tom what the Senator would do about reining in big pharma, and whether the Democrats could seize the opportunity to push ahead offensively on health care. Several people pressed Tom about Feinstein’s stated position on single-payer (“I’m not there”). He said that hasn’t changed – and that any official statements would appear on her website. This is Feinstein’s statement, released today, on health care. Although Tom took notes to bring back to the Senator, he unfortunately offered little concrete information.
Indivisible SF live-streamed the event for those who couldn’t attend.
By Heidi Rand