Three years after influential hip-hop MC and producer J Dilla's death, DC is still rightfully paying homage to the accomplished producer and MC who brought us everything from Common's "The Light" to the Pharcyde's "Runnin'?" and Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone."

Last week, SEIU co-sponsored the 4th Annual J Dilla Tribute & Fundraiser show at DC's Liv Niteclub to celebrate influential hip-hop MC and producer J Dilla's legacy and raise awareness about the medical condition that cut his life short. During the last two years of struggle against the increasingly-debilitating autoimmune disease Lupus, Dilla's inadequate health coverage coverage ran out, leaving his family with mounting bills totaling over one million dollars they are still struggling to pay off.

A large, energetic crowd turned out to honor the beloved producer, packing U Street's Liv from wall-to-wall. Local emcees performed their best renditions of Dilla classics, accompanied by a live band and exception singing talent Allison Carney. All in all, it was an amazing event celebrating the life, the man and his transcendent music, which had such a profound effect on so many people.

Watch highlights from the event, which included appearances from Malik Taylor (aka Phife Dawg) from A Tribe Called Quest, Grap Luva (producer Pete Rock's brother) and special guests Dilla's mother Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and Dilla's brother Illa J.

More pics from the amazing night for an amazing cause here.

Earlier in the day, SEIU held a "Healthcare Remix" roundtable with participants from healthcare, hip-hop (including Phife + Ms. Yancey) and progressive communities to discuss how urban communities can become more involved in the fight to reform our broken healthcare system. As panelist and Hip Hop Caucus CEO Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. said, "Don't think we can create change with just a mix tape."

Today, leaders in the House of Representatives released their comprehensive plan for reforming health care--putting us within arm's reach of quality, affordable health care for every American. Now it's your turn: Do your part to stand up for quality care for all.

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.

On Tuesday May 5th, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee gathered to discuss the issue of health care coverage in America. This roundtable discussion, the second of three, represents a crucial moment in the health care debate and will inevitably shape the legislation produced on this important issue. At the center of the debate is making good on President Obama's promise to allow all Americans to buy into the same type of insurance members of Congress receive.

Providing Americans the option of joining a public health care plan is essential to securing real reform. This option is necessary to bring quality, affordable coverage to all Americans, to bring down costs, and to offer consumers additional options in our competitive marketplace.

The ranking Republican on this committee is Iowa's senior Senator Charles Grassley. He and his colleagues outlined their plans to expand coverage to all Americans, and we were watching. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andy Stern was among the panelists in DC presenting to the committee. SEIU is America's fastest growing labor union, representing over 1.5 million members.

The watch party followed C-SPAN's coverage of the Senate debate on health care coverage and the inclusion of a public insurance plan in the 2009 bill. The event was attended by Scott County health care voters, and State Representative Elesha Gayman.

Do Your Part: Join the conversation by speaking out to Senator Grassley about your views on health care here

SEIU President Andy Stern was on Capitol Hill yesterday to testify in the second of a series of three roundtables on health care reform. The roundtables, convened by Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus, are the last official opportunities to provide input on health care reform before a final piece of legislation is drafted next month.

In addition to the statistics and numbers we've heard over and over again, Stern's testimony was built on the stories of everyday Americans affected by the health care crisis - many of which were submitted by SEIU members online. One of those Americans is Pat DeJong, an SEIU home care aide in Libby, MT:

Pat and her husband Dan were ranchers, but had a hard time finding affordable coverage, and were uninsured when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000. The medical bills piled up for Pat and Dan, eventually forcing them to sell the land they loved and that had been in Dan's family for generations. Dan succumbed to cancer, and Pat remains uninsured. We can and must do better for hardworking families such as the DeJongs.

There's a simple standard that SEIU uses to measure the success of the health care system: how does it work for our members - for Pat and her family? By that standard, without a doubt, our current system is failing. Miserably.

It is that same bar, Stern explained, that we've used to layout our vision for what health care should be. Here's what it will take to make health care work for Pat, our members, and all Americans:

1. Build on what works - but also build new alternatives for a changing economy.
About 160 million Americans get their coverage through their employer and, for many of them, it's a system that works well. But, for many others - especially small businesses, students, and retirees - employer-provided insurance isn't an affordable option. We need a public health insurance option that lowers costs across the board and gives everyone a path to affordable care.

2. Share responsibility for financing health care and promoting good health.
Employers, individuals, and government must all do their part to make sure we have a sustainable and affordable health care system that works for everyone. That included protections and tax credits for small businesses to help them remain competitive.

3. Establish a national standard for meaningful coverage.
Too many Americans find out the hard way that the real limits of their health coverage are buried in the fine print. Exemptions for chronic illnesses or catastrophic circumstances leave them without care when they need it most. Establishing a national standard of meaningful coverage would mean that every American would have the confidence of knowing their insurance affords them their right to adequate care.

4. Long-term services and supports must be covered for those who need them.
The safety net we provide to America's aging and disabled population is weak and full of holes. The very men and women whose hard work and ingenuity built this country deserve meaningful care in the twilight of life. Providing access to affordable care upfront will not only better serve our aging population, it will also save us money in the long run.

It's easy to get lost in the weeds when we start looking at facts and figures and budget outlays. Our health care system is huge, with lots of moving parts. Stern's testimony was an important reminder to step back and think about Pat - and all the real people whose everyday lives depend on what sort of future we write for health care.