Ed Mierzwinski
Senior Director, Federal Consumer Program, PIRG
Senior Director, Federal Consumer Program, PIRG
Ohio PIRG
COLUMBUS, OHIO (November 10)- Today, following the historic House passage of health reform legislation this weekend, Ohio Public Interest Research Group hailed Representatives Space and Wilson for their votes for the bill.
“The pressure on all members of the House from well-funded, anti-reform lobbies was enormous, but Representatives Space and Wilson chose to do what was right for communities here in Ohio,” stated Manfred Mecoy, an Ohio PIRG Associate.
As a consumer and good-government group, OhioPIRG has been critical of the influence of powerful interests in Washington, and has decried the insurance industry’s $1.4 million a day lobbying campaign against health reform. Ohio PIRG endorsed the bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act in a letter to Speaker Pelosi on Friday.
Mecoy expects continued efforts to kill or delay reform in the Senate, but, he says, “Residents of Ohio have waited too long for relief from constantly rising health care costs. The U.S. Senate must quickly follow the House’s lead and pass health reform that increases choice and competition and reins in costs.”
Senate consideration of its health reform legislation has yet to begin and could last several weeks.
Ohio PIRG singled out several key provisions of the House bill for praise: