FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 6, 2021

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Health Care Advocates and COVID Survivors Celebrate Senate Passage of the American Rescue Plan: “A Reason to Feel Hope Again” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Health Care Voter and COVID Survivors for Change celebrated today as Senate Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan with a 50-49 vote. The bill is a major step forward for the millions of Americans who voted for serious leadership on the pandemic and economic recovery in November, and have waited too long for relief.

This week, Health Care Voter joined more than 50 COVID Survivors to meet with Senators and ask them to support the bill, which has broad, bipartisan support among voters.

Health Care Voter Co-Chair Laura Packard of Denver, Colorado released the following statement:

“After nearly a year of living through this crisis, we finally have action. My stepfather is no longer here, but the American Rescue Plan will bring desperately-needed relief to the rest of my family across the country, including members that are still unemployed due to the pandemic. By speeding up vaccinations, many more of us will be able to get them sooner, including cancer survivors like me. By expanding health care provisions, millions priced out of health insurance can gain the coverage they need. Senate Democrats acted, and Congress must continue to act until this bill becomes law.”

Angelica Baker of Phoenix, Arizona met with Senators Sinema and Kelly. She commented:

“My father died of COVID last year. I couldn’t be with him in the hospital—I only saw him through FaceTime in the days before he passed. He was larger than life, and I miss him every second of every day. I never want another family to go through what mine did, and by funding the country’s vaccine rollout, this bill will help keep our country safe. This is just the first step, but it gives me hope that we can finally end this crisis.”

Jerri Vance of Princeton, West Virginia met with Senator Manchin. She added:

“My husband and mother-in-law lost their battles with COVID this year, and not a day goes by where I don’t miss them and wish that our country had taken this pandemic seriously from the beginning. My entire family has gotten COVID, including my three children, and I haven’t been able to return to work because of it all. We need this COVID relief package to help us afford our necessities and start on the road to recovery. I am grateful for those Senators who fight for us, and don’t let anything stand in the way. We are real people, with real struggles, facing the very real hardships during the pandemic. We need more of Congress to see that.”

Erika Mckibben of McDonough, Georgia met with Senators Warnock and Ossoff this week. She said:

“I lost my father to COVID in April of last year, and while there’s nothing anyone can do to bring him back, this new relief bill will help make sure other families won’t face the same pain and loss that mine has. My father was a teacher, and a role model to so many members of our community. With the new funding for vaccine distribution, it means less people will fall victim to this disease, and brings us one step closer to having teachers and students safely back in classrooms.”

About Health Care Voter
Health Care Voter is a grassroots campaign that mobilizes millions across the country to hold lawmakers accountable for attacks on our access to quality affordable health care and fights for a more modern, moral and dignified health care system. Join the movement on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or visit us at HealthCareVoter.org.

About Covid Survivors for Change
Covid Survivors for Change is a national, non-partisan movement bringing together Americans who have lost a loved one to Covid-19, as well as those who have survived the virus and those whose lives have been dramatically altered by the pandemic. As part of Covid Survivors for Change, Americans are mobilizing to make sure that communities have the funding, resources and leadership in place to address future public health emergencies. Survivors will also find community and healing in meeting other people whose lives have been forever changed by the pandemic. For more information, please visit: covidsurvivorsforchange.org.

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