October 20, 2009 5:10 PM

Health Care "Day of Action" Overtakes Congress

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Health Care
(AP)
Congress faced an onslaught of phone calls Tuesday from people in favor of health care reform who called Capitol Hill as part of a day of action organized by President Obama's group Organizing for America (OFA).

More than 100,000 phone calls were placed to lawmakers' Washington offices by early afternoon, Huffington Post reports. OFA held outreach events across the country and offered supporters online tools to help them with the calls.

Mr. Obama tonight will address participants of OFA's "Time to Deliver" day via a Webcast from the OFA fundraising event in New York City. Other groups, including labor unions and consumer groups, supported the calling effort, Politico reports. Huffington Post called the event "the most massive outpouring of support from Obama supporters since Election Day 2008."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Faith groups like PICO National Network and Faithful Reform in Health Care joined in the day of action with rallies, religious services and other events in an effort to put particular emphasis on making coverage more affordable for lower-income families.

Leaders in the Senate are still deliberating ways to address affordability in their health care bill without spending much more than $900 billion.

A coalition of patient, consumer and labor groups are currently drafting their own proposal for ways to improve affordability, such as expanding Medicaid and decreasing out-of-pocket expenses for certain wage earners, according to a report found here, via Politico.

Add a Comment
by sjc_1 October 20, 2009 11:56 PM EDT
After almost 100 years since Teddy Roosevelt, we may actually FINALLY have a more rational approach to health care in America. It is a fine day for everyone and I hope the opponents come to see the wisdom of this decision.
Reply to this comment
by valleywiz October 20, 2009 6:03 PM EDT
Let's get this Healthcare Reform done!
Reply to this comment
by stuart-johns2 October 20, 2009 6:07 PM EDT
AMEN.
.

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