video taken & edited by Kyle Todd

On July 2nd, activists in Colorado Springs rallied in support of quality, affordable health care for all Coloradans. Watch the video above to see their stories. Once you've finished, you can sign up here to share your story.

On July 2nd, people in Denver rallied to demand quality, affordable health care for all. Watch as speakers tell their stories. You can follow and learn more here, and sign up to tell us your stories here and support health care reform.

One day before we celebrate the birth of our nation, Nebraskans gathered at a scheduled healthcare roundtable to call on Senator Johanns to support an American solution to our healthcare crisis.

Instead of greeting the teachers from NSEA, veterans, and SEIU workers Senator Johanns' staff called the police, ordering the Nebraskans to leave the Medical Center grounds.

"Johanns' voters-- teachers, members of the armed forces, and SEIU members-- set up a table with apple pie and signs welcoming the Senator and urging him to support a uniquely American solution to healthcare reform," explained Jane Kleeb, SEIU State Director. "Instead of coming by and saying hello, the Senator walked right by us as we were surrounded by police, and the Senator said 'good luck with that.'"

SEIU received advanced permission from the Nebraska Medical Center to greet the Senator as he started his day of roundtables on healthcare reform. Instead of greeting the healthcare reform advocates at the table, the Senator's staff called the police.

Just as our founders realized the time for hard decisions was upon them, SEIU and our partners know we can not afford to wait any longer to reform our broken healthcare system.

Nebraskans need policies that will make healthcare affordable and accessible for everyone. With our families and businesses struggling, the future of our nation depends on the solutions being debated in DC. It is not a time to slowdown, it is a time to act.
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For more pictures of today's event, visit Nebraska's Change that Works Facebook album. To learn more about what we do, visit our website.

Update: Here at TPM, Jane Hamsher confirms that the police told her Johanns' staff were the ones who called.
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Crossposted on MyDD, OpenLeft and Daily Kos.

Calling on Congress to Fix the Broken Health Care System

Little Rock - Arkansans will gather in downtown Little Rock to sign the "Declaration for Affordable Health Care" and challenge Arkansas's Senators and Congressmen to be leaders in fixing the broken health care system.

This event will be one of dozens nationwide organized by the Change that Works campaign of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and other stakeholders in the health care system to call on Congress to make health care more affordable, give people the freedom to choose their coverage, and offer the working people the same quality health care that members of Congress receive.

"It's time to declare independence from a health care system that too many working people can't count on. We need to fix our health care system so that every working American has the freedom to choose affordable care," said Wes Zeigler, a retired teacher.

WHEN: 12 noon, Thursday, July 2, 2009

WHERE: Downtown Little Rock, corner of Ottenheimer Plaza & President Clinton Ave.

WHAT: Local workers and supporters will offer their own prescription for affordable health care and sign a "Declaration for Affordable Health care"

With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in health care, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, health care and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEO--benefit from today's global economy.