The Courage Campaign and California Nurses Association call on the former DNC Chair to boycott AHIP convention on June 19
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2008
CONTACT:
Aidan Crawford:
Phone: 323-969-0160 (o)
TERRY McAULIFFE: DON’T SPEAK TO — OR TAKE MONEY FROM — HEALTH INSURANCE EXECUTIVES
The Courage Campaign and California Nurses Association call on the former DNC Chair to boycott AHIP convention on June 19
LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2008—Two influential grassroots and political organizing groups have criticized Terry McAuliffe, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, for accepting an invitation to speak to the health insurance industry’s chief lobbying group at its annual meeting next week in San Francisco.
The Courage Campaign, a California-based online organizing network approaching 100,000 members and supporters, and the California Nurses Association, representing 80,000 members in 50 states, called on McAuliffe to reconsider his decision to partner with former Bush administration spokesperson Dan Bartlett in a speaking engagement at the 2008 national convention of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) next Thursday, June 19. Thousands of the industry’s top executives are expected to attend the meeting.
“The health insurance racket in America has a death grip on our health care system,” wrote Courage Campaign chair and founder Rick Jacobs in an email blast to Courage Campaign members. “Using nearly unlimited resources from our monthly premium payments, it has single-handedly blocked every health care reform proposal in recent years. No Democrat, least of all a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, should support these corporations by appearing on their stage, and no progressive should allow himself to be paid in blood money ‘earned’ by withholding treatment from sick patients.”
Jacobs added that McAuliffe’s appearance at the AHIP convention “seems inappropriate at best, especially after Barack Obama and Howard Dean courageously directed the Democratic National Committee last week to reject contributions from lobbyists, including the health insurance industry.”
Jacobs said he has written a letter to McAuliffe “with this simple message: ‘Just don’t do it, Terry, and please don’t accept a speaking fee.’”
He pointed out to McAuliffe that Assurant Health, an AHIP member, is the sole sponsor of his and Bartlett’s appearance.
“Did you know that Assurant Health… was just fined $3 million by the state of Connecticut for illegally denying care to hundreds of patients?”
The full text of the letter—and an appeal to Courage Campaign members to sign a petition that will be sent to McAuliffe—is posted on the organization’s site:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/TerryMcAuliffe
The petition reads in part: “In the name of over 100 million uninsured and underinsured Americans frozen out of our profit-driven health care system, please don’t lend your legitimacy as a leader in the Democratic Party to these corporations at their annual convention… Boycott the convention and prove that you care more about patients and health care than you do about lobbyists and speaking fees.”
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The Courage Campaign is an online organizing network empowering nearly 100,000 members and supporters to make this a new era for progressive politics in California. In 2008, the Courage Campaign will work with grassroots and netroots activists to increase California’s importance in the race for the White House, hold our elected officials accountable, and defeat the November initiative that would ban marriage equality.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee is the nation’s largest RN union, representing 80,000 RN in every state. Read more at www.CalNurses.org.
Rick Jacobs is the founder and chair of the Courage Campaign. He chaired Howard Dean’s presidential campaign in California. He is also the co-founder of Brave New Films and a featured contributor to Arianna Huffington’s Huffingtonpost.com. Rick has an extensive background as an investor and senior executive. Rick Jacobs is available for interviews by calling 323-969-0160.