Nursing is political and this is a political blog post. Our voices and votes are needed now more than ever. 2024 will be a transformational election, with nothing less than our democracy hanging in the balance. I have never shied away from taking political stances because I am a nurse and nursing is inherently political.
Here is our chance, as nurses, to take action in supporting one of our own, Representative Lauren Underwood. She is a public health nurse currently in her third term in Congress. She is facing her toughest re-election due to redistricting in Illinois. Rep. Underwood represents Illinois, with an eye on the nation’s health. Her political advocacy and lawmaking have a laser focus on maternal/child health, children’s health, and firearm safety.
Please answer the call to support this young woman to remain a powerful voice in Congress. Join the group of national nursing leaders who are asking for nurses to support Rep. Underwood’s re-election campaign. Donate what is possible and most importantly, share this message with nursing colleagues. Our reach is wide, let’s help one of our own!
The following content is the contents of an email I received from Catherine Dodd PhD, RN FAAN, one of the founding members of Nurses for America. Their tagline is “Values Nurses Believe In.” Here is their mission:
Nurses for America is a grassroots group of nurses with diverse specialties and expertise advocating for nursing, democracy, health access and equity, reproductive rights, voting rights, human rights, gun safety, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, climate change for a healthy environment and Biden/Harris 2024
This is your official invitation to support Rep. Lauren Underwood at an upcoming event either in person or via Zoom on Thursday, September 28th. You can donate online by clicking this link.
Please donate even if you can’t attend. To donate online click here
Fall is almost here and we are just months away from a major election year. As you know, Rep Underwood RN, MPH (FAAN) is up for re-election to her 4th term in new district lines of Illinois 14. The fact is that she needs us, in the last election she spent $7 million. (Her district is in several expensive media markets). Imagine having to raise that amount of money on top of being a member of Congress and a national nursing leader. Lauren has spoken at hundreds of nursing events and opened her office for nursing interns. She has done more than support nursing in Congress; she has championed nursing and healthcare legislation. We need to help her get re-elected.
In her first 3 terms (before redistricting), she has been a voice for our profession and has risen to the leadership of the Democratic Caucus. She serves the powerful Appropriations Committee (that spends the $) and its subcommittees on Ag, Rural Development, FDA & Homeland Security. Some of her bills that have become law include: (She served on the Veterans Subcommittee of Approps in the 116th and 117th Congressional sessions. In addition to supporting nursing legislation, she has authored these bills which are assigned to the committees she serves on.
- H.R. 5575 (117th): VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act
- H.R. 958 (117th): Protecting Moms Who Served Act
- H.R. 2372 (116th): Veterans’ Care Quality Transparency Act
- H.R. 6140 (116th): Veterans in STEM Act
- H.R. 5444 (116th): Lower Insulin Costs Now Act
- Recently she introduced
o H.R. 5060: Women’s Retirement Protection Act
o H.R. 4816: To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group …
o H.R. 3791: Improving DATA in Public Health Act
o H.R. 3623: Educating Future Nurses Act
o H.R. 3305: Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (part of the Momnibus Act was included in the Inflation Reduction Act).
o H.R. 3304: Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act
o H.R. 3303: Maternal Health for Veterans Act
Find out more on her co-sponsorships and votes here
Check out her Mothers’ Day interview on Face the Nation regarding infant mortality and her focus on changing the status of maternal deaths.
Her conversation with Deans of the Schools of Nursing from Columbia School of the College of Nursing and the University of Illinois at Chicago Why Nurses should be making and Guiding US Policy is inspiring. Or read a beautiful piece on what it’s like to be serving in Congress from the Washington Post.
Please consider becoming a Host of this event by “raising or writing” $1000. (Let Taylor Theodore theodore@frostgroupdc.com) know if you can’t write $1000 now but will do $100/month for 10 months, or if you are in the raise category and you commit to raising $1000 by Sept 28 by sending invites to your colleagues. Taylor will keep track) and your name will be added to the HOST list and a new invite will be issued for you to use. If you want to contribute at a lower level, please do, she needs all the help we can give her.
Please donate even if you can’t attend. To donate online click here
9.28.23 LU Nurses For Underwood Invite Sept 7 (2)
Powerhouse RN! Important post, thanks very much!! Everybody, please do not shy away from the large dollar numbers on the invite flyer…….Small dollar donations easy to make by clicking on the link at the bottom of Robin’s post.
You are so right Judy, any donation is greatly appreciated. This is a grass roots effort, so it all helps! Thank you for pointing out that important message!