Tag Archives: Congress

4 Big Reasons to Celebrate the Affordable Care Act Turning 4


Dept. of Health & Human Services

March 23rd, marks the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act.  Since its enactment, millions of Americans have benefited from the law. Here are just four of the reasons we have to celebrate today.

1. 5 million people covered: Since October 1, more than 5 million people have signed up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

2. Bending the cost curve: We’ve held down national spending growth in health care to the slowest rate in a half century.

3. Free preventive care: Today, most health plans have to cover recommended preventive services free of charge, benefiting 71 million Americans.

4. Strengthening Medicare: Today, the Medicare program is stronger than ever. Since enactment of the Affordable Care Act, 7.9 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved $9.9 billion on prescription drugs, or an average of $1,265 per beneficiary.

Four Year Anniversary Graphic

Let’s celebrate millions more covered in 2014. If you know someone who’s uninsured, tell them to sign up today, before the March 31 deadline.

Go to HealthCare.gov (which is working smoothly), or call 1-800-318-2596 (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). You can even get in-person help in your own community (just visit localhelp.healthcare.gov and punch in your zip code).

Sofia’s nightmare


Approve request for Humanitarian Parole for Anastasiya “Sofia” Petrova (Case #MSC1499990791)

By Bring Sofia Home
Freeport, Maine

At age 15, Anastasiya “Sofia” Petrova was banished to Siberia by her mother and step-father.  Not only was she deceived into traveling to Siberia, she was mislead into thinking she would return in a couple of weeks.  Upon arriving there, her nightmare began.  She was told there were no travel papers to return to the US and she needed to live with her biological father who did not speak English and whom she had never met before.  It turns out her biological father was not equipped to care for her – and given Sofia has limited Russian language skills and no permanent residence, she is at great risk.  Sofia dreams of completing her education in the US where she lived from age 2-15 and where she attended high school.  Sofia needs to return home.  With USCIS’ approval of her application for Humanitarian Parole, Sofia can at least travel to the US temporarily.  Your support of this petition will let USCIS know that Sofia has so many supporters in the US who care about her future.

News we can all use


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Loan Rebound Misses Black Businesses

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If César Chávez Were Alive Today, He Would Join the Resistance Against Walmart

By Sarita Gupta, AlterNet

As we celebrate Chávez’s legacy, we must remember that today farmworkers — and others laboring for low wages along the food supply chain — are still struggling. READ MORE»

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The Afterlife of Activist Mario Savio, Free Speech Movement’s Best-Known Leader

By Clancy Sigal, AlterNet

Savio’s was the face of protest before Jane Fonda, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. READ MORE»

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Why We Should Be Suspicious of the Libertarian Right’s Newfound Concern for Prison Reform

Deborah Small, AlterNet

The problem with the growing popularity of fixing our prison system. READ MORE»

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Thousands of preschool kids face suspension: http://bit.ly/1oEKoNM  via @the_daily_news

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Neil deGrasse Tyson Shows Why Small-Minded Religious Fundamentalists Are Threatened by Wonders of Universe

Adam Lee, AlterNet

Religious belief systems prefer a small cosmos with humans firmly at the center. READ MORE»

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Understanding Paul Ryan’s Racism in 3 Easy Steps

By Chauncey DeVega, AlterNet

The question is not ‘Is Ryan a racist?’ but ‘What type of racist is he?’ READ MORE»

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McDonald’s Under Fire for Ripping Off Workers

By John Swaine, The Guardian

New York City’s public advocate pushes for whistleblower hotline to report abuse. READ MORE»