June 2009 Newsletter
Washington Update
by Heather Markert, Volunteer Legislative Director, ISSB of CA
For both abused children and adult survivors of childhood abuse, access to quality, affordable physical and mental health care is vital to the healing process. While, for example, the city of San Francisco and the state of Massachusetts offer aform of universal care, this is the exception and not the rule.
In the past few months, I have repeatedly crossed paths with representatives of SEIU (Service Employees International Union). SEIU represents many state workers and is the fastest growing union in the nation. Both SEIU and ISSB of CA share the common goals of protecting children and families. As part of accomplishing these goals, we both support the creation of a reformed health care system which delivers high quality, affordable health care. We also agree that allindividuals, regardless of employment status or income, should have access to health care.
This summer is very important to the health care reform movement, as President Obama’s health care reform plan will soon be voted on by our legislators. Organizing for America, the grassroots campaign based out of the Democratic National Committee that helped elect Obama (http://www.barackobama.com), has a special project called “Organizing for Health Care.” As part of this project, Obama has asked the American public to submit their “Health Care Stories” online, sharing their experiences and opinions with both the administration and general public through publication on the website and through print, radio, and television ads.
As Legislative Director of ISSB of CA, a member of the Safe Child Coalition, I have been volunteering this summer with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as a liaison between my SEIU friends and Organizing for America, collecting and reviewing the stories of union members, as well of hundreds of others submitted from across the nation, and helping to select the most poignant and representative for the DNC’s promotion of health care reform.
In addition to that role, as part of our partnership with SEIU, I have also been lobbying CA representatives, including Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, and Barbara Boxer; attending health care reform rallies; and spreading our message of hope and healing various social functions.
My friends at SEIU are thankful for our support. We will continue to work towards our common goals of protecting children and families by advocating for such policies as health care reform and preventing further cuts to state services.
Heather Markert
Volunteer Legislative Director
ISSB of CA, a member of the Safe Child Coalition
P.O. Box 74366 Davis, CA 95616
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| Heather Markert lobbying at Senator Dianne Feinstein's birthday breakfast in 2009. |
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| Heather Markert with Dianne Feinstein in Washington, DC, June 2009 |
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| Heather met Anna Burger, SEIU, left, at the health care rally after she spoke. Most recently cited in the Wall Street Journal's 2007 Top 50 Women to Watch and hailed by Fortune Magazine as "the most powerful woman in the labor movement," Anna Burger is both a top ranking officer at SEIU, the nation's largest and fastest growing union, and the first chair of America's newest labor federation, Change to Win. |
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