Representatives and supporters for “Health Insurance Reform Now” posted flyers around VSU’s campus promoting people to write or call their member of Congress and voice their support on Obama’s health insurance reform.

The purpose of “Health Insurance Reform Now” is to bring stability and security to those who currently have insurance, provide affordable coverage to those who don’t, and rein in the cost of health care, according to Ken King with Organizing for America.

According to King, “Health Insurance Reform Now” has been around for nearly 100 years—from Roosevelt in 1912 to Johnson in 1965 to Clinton in 1993.

Organizing for America is a special project of The Democratic National Committee: the successor organization to Obama for America.

“Our overall purpose is to build on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering communities across the country to bring about our agenda of change,” Ken King said.

“By building on what we started, we believe that we can create a sustainable and independent clean energy economy,” King said.

            King gave his on why he felt this particular way of getting people to support health insurance by voicing their opinion would contribute to the overall purpose.

            “I think citizens’ lobbying their elected officials is as American as apple pie,” King said.  “For too long special interest groups have had the ear of our politicians.”

“We believe if things are going to change in this country, people have to begin to speak up and speak out in an informed and deliberative way,” King said.

“If at the end of the day, people are more informed, more organized more involved in the legislative process, we all win,” King said.  “If things are going to change, it will be because people changed how we approach politics after Election Day. “

Ashley Kenny, a VSU English major, started the program “Matter Now,” which does not support Organizing for America’s program to get citizens to voice their opinion and support for Obama’s Healthcare plan.

Kenny stated her stance on the Health Insurance Reform.   

“No one can deny that we need reform,” Kenny said.  “There is a common misconception that those who oppose the government option oppose reform in its entirety.  Not true.”

“There are several ways we can reform healthcare, without changing it in its entirety … We need Tort reform badly.  We need to be able to purchase across state lines,” Kenny said.

“We need to learn to practice preventative health care in this nation,” Kenny said.  “If we don’t tackle the foundations of the problem, we’ll be back at square one.”

“I don’t want to see any person lack insurance,” Kenny said.  “However, we have programs that should cover the poor, children, and elderly, yet millions fall through the cracks.”

As written on the Organizing for America website, “Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change, but when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins.  That’s what Organizing for America is all about.  Now, in this crucial time, our voice once again has extraordinary power.  Let’s use it.”

“We can provide all American children the first rate education they deserve,” King said. “And we can finally guarantee high-quality, affordable health care to every American man, woman and child.”

“If it passes, I do not wish it to fail, because that would wish failure upon my country as a whole, no American should do that,” Kenny said.  “However, I don’t see this as ever being successful, especially when I look at the track record of other government programs.”

More information can be found regarding Organizing for America at www.barackobama.com