A BIG THANK YOU to all that helped support the passage of Health Care Reform!

Dear Dem Friends,


I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all my friends and colleagues who have worked diligently since last June's push for Health Care Reform. I would also like to reach out and thank the many others that have been working for years and decades to help bring affordable universal health care coverage to all Americans. Many thanks to our partners in the Dem Central Committees, Democratic Clubs, OFA, HCAN and other heath organizations; our labor friends and the 350 organizations that are in support of the bill and the many others that have fought so hard, because we all believe health care is a right and not a privilege.

Over the last week and a half I have been traveling over the Central Valley with stops in Congressional Districts 18 thru 22 for the OFA Strategy Sessions Tour for 2010. I have attended rallies of a dozen to many and encouraged others to write, call and drop in the offices of our Central Valley Representatives; it has been a long road since June and nearly all of us have a personal story about health care. Last weekend OFA Staffers and Community Organizers from all over California met at a Summit in Fresno. At the Summit we all participated in the final push for Health Care Reform along with thousands of volunteers from around California -- keeping up the fight for the cause. We made thousands upon thousands of calls into key districts where our Representatives needed our support at times against "Tea Party" protesters. We pulled, within hours, constituents into rallies at Congressional offices to encourage undecided Representatives to hear the voices of some of the 32 million Americans that will benefit from Health Care Reform. OFA made over 500,000 calls into Congressional offices all over the nation in the last week alone.

We all have to agree It has been especially difficult in our Central Valley to combat and overcome the adversity we have faced daily by the opponents of Health Care Reform. Not only have we prevailed but we never gave up hope. Now my friends, as tired and as thrilled as we are in celebration of the good news, be proud as we have participated in and witnessed the historic passing of the "bill of our lifetime."

Lastly, a final thank you to our Central Valley Congressional Representatives, Democratic Party Leaders and President Obama.

Our job is not finished as you know, we must spread the good word on what Health Care Reform will do for the American people and support our Representatives that voted in support of us, the American people.


Patty Hughes