Public Employee Press

Union nurses lobby for Medicare

More than 300 union nurses from locals of DC 37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, lobbied Congress in May against the Republican budget plan's harsh cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

President Judith Arroyo led a group from DC 37's Local 436, the United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists, who met with Congress member Yvette Clarke and the staffs of U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer.

"Nurses are on the front line of providing care," AFSCME president Gerald W. McEntee told the nurses gathered in Washington for the union's 13th National Nurses Congress. "They know better than anyone that cuts to Medicare or Medicaid will mean inadequate health care or no health care for many Americans."

Arroyo moderated panel discussions on public-sector workers and on collective bargaining for nurses. The group of members with her included Local 436 Vice President Cheryl Whatley, Executive Board member Laura Humphrey and Corresponding Secretary Janice Kikuchi.

"We definitely have the support of Congresswoman Clarke, who strongly opposes these cuts to Medicaid and Medicare," said Arroyo, "and the Democratic majority in the Senate is committed to stopping this right-wing attempt to cut medical care for older Americans and the poor while giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy."

The Republican plan would replace the current Medicare health-care guarantees with federal vouchers for part of the cost of private insurance. The Medicaid cuts would endanger health coverage for 60 million Americans, shredding the health-care safety net by cutting benefits for seniors and children and shifting costs to the states. President Obama increased Medicaid funds two years ago, but the money was expected to run out by the end of June.