WHAT: Tucson health providers, labor activists, and community leaders will hold a rally at Veinte de Agosto Park on Monday afternoon to demand that U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) stand up to the pharmaceutical industry and support allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. This press conference follows a number of press conferences and rallies outside at Sinema’s Phoenix and Tucson offices in recent days
This emergency press conference has been organized in response to numerous media reports that Sinema continues to be a key obstruction to allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices in the final hours of negotiation of the Build Back Better Act.
Arizonans are demanding that Sinema not stand in the way of this commonsense policy to lower prescription drug prices that is supported by 78% of Arizonans. The event will feature community members sharing their own health care stories, banners, and other visuals.
Groups organizing the event include Public Citizen, AZ Medicare for All Coalition, Arizona Democratic Party Progressive Council, Progressive Democrats of America Arizona, Arizona Jobs with Justice, Sunrise Tempe
WHO:
- Silvia Andersh, retired VA nurse, a former member of Sen. Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council
- Dana Allmond, retired Army lieutenant colonel, a former member of Sen. Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council
- Sandra Fisher, public health advocate
- Steven Valencia, retired steelworker and leader with Arizona Jobs with Justice, PALF, AFL-CIO
- Alex Kack, caregiver for an aging parent
- Paul Stapleton-Smith, a leader with Arizona Democratic Party Progressive Council, IATSE Local 336, AFL-CIO
- Additional Tucson health providers, patients, and community leaders sharing their health care stories
WHEN: 3:30 pm. PST, Monday, Nov. 1
WHERE: Veinte de Agosto Park
123 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
The event will be live-streamed. For details, please contact Paul Stapleton-Smith, paulforarizona@gmail.com and 831-227-9660. He is a member of the Pima Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.
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I love Pau, but,IMHO, this is a complete waste of time as Sinema is in Pharma’s pocket. They just gave her $1.1 million. There is nothing that will convince her to vote in support of drug cost negotiations. Better to invest energy into identifying a viable candidate to primary and replace her. She just proved that the concept of supporting a so-called democrat being better than having a Republican is incorrect!
“…this is a complete waste of time as Sinema is in Pharma’s pocket.”
Sinema’s vote got bought out, that’s a fact. She and her friend have Manchin have gutted Build Back Better and it appears that they are going to hold the line for their corporate donors and the GOP. They are traitors.
This does not mean that activists should engage solely in replacing Sinema in 2024. First of all, she would be a fool to run again, at least as a Democrat. But we do need to assume that she will run and build the #PrimarySinema movement for a strong Democratic challenger.
In addition to that, there needs to be resistance every time that treacherous, soulless b!tch obstructs the Democrats on behalf of herself, her rich donors, and the GOP. She needs to be aware every moment of her life that the people who voted for her are fed up with her and want her gone. Make her an example to the Democratic leadership that the next time they choose a Kyrsten Sinema for AZ, she/he is going to lose.
It’s worth noting that Sinema’s position on prescription drugs has grave consequences for elderly people who cannot afford their drugs or have to choose between having food and rent or having medicine. This is a life and death decision she has made for others, and for no reason other than she was bribed. This is just pure evil, and it should be on billboards across the state.
We can multi-task. There’s the resistance, and there’s the way forward.
Liza, come on Monday: Press Conference Demanding Sinema Allow Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices. See https://blogforarizona.net/monday-press-conference-demanding-sinema-allow-medicare-to-negotiate-drug-prices/ for details.