Democrats are hoping to energize grassroots support Sunday to save the Affordable Care Act.
They and advocacy groups are planning more than 40 rallies across the country aimed at igniting grassroots support in their effort to highlight what would happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. The rallies come after Congress approved by mostly party lines a budget resolution that starts the Republican repeal effort.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will headline a rally in Warren, Mich., alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Gary Peters, D-Mich.
“Our message to the Republicans is simple and straight forward,” according to an e-mail touting the events. “You are not going to punish the elderly, disabled veterans, the children, the sick and the poor while you reward your billionaire friends.”
Rallies across the country will feature many other House and Senate Democratic lawmakers. For example, a rally in San Francisco will include remarks from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and several other California lawmakers.
Other groups are holding rallies to call for Congress to go beyond Obamacare and create a single-payer system, or government-run health insurance.
“At this moment of tremendous confusion about the future of healthcare in the U.S., nurses are saying now is the time to move forward with Medicare for all,” said Deborah Burger, co-president of the nurses union National Nurses United.
Burger said the union wants Congress to expand Medicare and turn it into a universal healthcare program, an idea that Sanders touted throughout his Democratic primary campaign.
The union will hold an event at a church in Washington in additional to several other events across the country.
Another event in the Washington area is a rally in Bowie, Md., featuring several Democratic lawmakers from Maryland. New Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen will join House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Reps. Anthony Brown, John Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin and John Delaney.
The rallies come soon after the House and Senate voted to approve a budget resolution that sets spending levels for the next decade. The resolution will act as a vehicle to start the process of gutting Obamacare via reconciliation, which can be used for spending and budget bills to be approved via a 51-vote majority in the Senate rather than 60 needed to stop a filibuster.
Committees in the House and Senate are now tasked with developing the repeal legislation. While the resolution included a deadline to get legislation completed by Jan. 27, that deadline is not binding and the legislation could be filed later.
