Faith Groups Press Congress to Stand up for Families, Pass Health Reform Now

Press Release From Faith In Public Life

National call-in day Monday to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people of faith

January 22, 2010

CALL CONGRESS AT 202-224-3121

After a week of political twists and turns in Washington, people of faith across the country are stepping up with a massive effort to remind Congress that the urgent need for reform has not abated for suffering families. In the face of uncertainty, they are telling their elected representatives that the millions of Americans who cannot afford health care need leaders to fight for them, not fold.

Numerous religious groups are mounting a national call-in day on Monday, January 25, to tell Congress that we need strong, courageous leadership to ensure that the lives and livelihoods of Americans no longer fall victim to insurance companies' greed. Partners in this effort to mobilize hundreds of thousands of contacts to Congress include: Faithful America; PICO National Network; Faithful Reform in Health Care; National Council of Churches; African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME); Sojourners; United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society; Gamaliel Foundation; Interfaith Worker Justice; NETWORK - A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office; Union of Reform Judaism; Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office; United Church of Christ; Jewish Reconstructionist Federation; Islamic Medical Association of North America; and Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition.

In addition to the these call-ins, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is bringing hundreds of high school student advocates for health reform to Capitol Hill for visits with Members of Congress.

"One election half-way across the country has done nothing to change the desperate need of children and families in our community for affordable health care," says Rev. Rayfield Burns, a PICO leader from Communities Creating Opportunity in Kansas City, MO.

Faith leaders across the country who have worked hard for reform all year are keeping up the fight for desperately needed legislation and demanding that their political leaders do the same. We cannot quit now - there are too many lives at stake.