State Reps. heading to Washington to push Obama health plan

Postcards from the Lege 6/17/09
State Reps. heading to Washington to push Obama health plan

State Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, said today that he is leading a group of Texans on a trip to Washington next week to urge the state’s members of Congress to support President Barack Obama’s health care plan. State Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, will also go, her office said.

The trip is organized by a group called Health Care for America Now, which is arranging similar trips for delegations from around the country. The organization is a national coalition of more than 1,000 groups that support Obama’s plan, including the AFL-CIO, Children’s Defense Fund Action Council and the NAACP.

There are 5.6 million uninsured Texans, including 208,000 in Travis County, Naishtat said.

The Quorum Report Daily Buzz 6/17/09
Rep. Coleman Goes to Washington

Houston Democrat Garnet Coleman gets an invite to help the federal government sell the nation on the need for comprehensive health care reform.

As the White House works toward the ambitious goal of a comprehensive fix of the nation’s health care system this summer, policymakers there are paying close attention to how the states would implement those reforms.

To that end, they’ve convened a collection of 22 lawmakers from various state legislatures. The members of the State Legislators for Health Reform will serve as point men for advancing the discussion in their respective states on the need for health care reform.

One of those legislators tapped to take part is Houston Democratic Rep. Garnet Coleman, who is widely regarded among state lawmakers under the Dome as one of their most knowledgeable on health care issues.