After Hillary Clinton’s healthcare proposal died in 1994, conservatives moved on to other issues. But liberal activists regrouped, learned lessons from their failure, and laid the groundwork for their next opening to advance national healthcare legislation. That effort eventually led to the passage of Obamacare.

Families USA was one of the main organizations that kept hope alive for a universal coverage program back when prospects were bleak, and the group helped shape President Obama’s health care law. Now that Obamacare is in place, the group is preparing to build on it.