DR. JACK SCHOFIELD FOR U.S. CONGRESS

Jack Schofield Calls on Senator Reid, US Senate to Pass Robust Public Option, Stand Up to 'Obstructionists'

In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democratic Congressional candidate Jack Schofield expressed his support for an overhaul of the nation’s health care system. Schofield, who served with Reid in the Nevada state legislature, thanked the Senator for his work towards health care reform and expressed his firm support of the public option.

"As unemployment rises, more Nevadans are losing their employer based health care, exacerbating the epidemic of the already 45 million Americans, including over 340,000 Nevadans, with no health care. A robust public option is vital to health care reform. It will create real market competition and lower costs for families and businesses. At this crucial time, we cannot allow the corporate lobbyists and special interests who are standing in the way of national health care reform derail the public option.”

Schofield asked that the senator not be swayed by the deluge of misinformation coming from Republicans in Washington and the media.

”Republicans held the White House for eight long years and in that time did nothing to advance health care discourse. Meanwhile, health insurance premiums tripled. Republicans continue to attack the public option; that its costs are too high and that it represents a move towards single-payer socialized medicine. But the Republican policy on health care is both financially and morally bankrupt.  Currently, the United States ranks 19^th in child health care, 24^th in life expectancy, and 37^th in overall health care, while ranking 2^nd in dollars spent. This is unacceptable. The time for reform is now."

"America has squandered hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars in a devastating and unnecessary war in Iraq and an unprecedented bank bailout while at home more Americans than ever before have no access to affordable health care. The lack of government oversight on Wall Street which has led to our nation’s economic collapse has showcased to Americans what can happen when government fails to hold irresponsible corporations accountable. Government has a moral obligation to do everything in its power to ensure that all American’s have access to affordable health care.”

Schofield cited a study conducted by the Robert Wood Foundation showing widespread support by physicians for the public option. “Nearly three out of four physicians nationwide support a public option and 58 percent of doctors support expanding Medicare eligibility to Americans between the ages of 55 and 64. + Conservatives would have us believe that Medicare is bankrupt; a wasteful government program. The truth is that before Medicare, half of America's seniors lacked hospital insurance and 25 percent could not afford medical care due to cost. Today, nearly all seniors have access to affordable care.”

Dr. Jack Schofield, a former Nevada State Senator and World War II Fighter Pilot, currently sits on the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. He is making a formal announcement of candidacy later this month to run in Nevada’s second district.

+ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) study published in the New England Journal of Medicine

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