Neb. rally for health care reform

LINCOLN - About 50 people gathered Tuesday to urge Congress to pass the pending health care reform bill.

State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha told the group that "it's time to tell our representatives in Washington to finish the job."

The lunch hour rally was sponsored by several groups that back the bill, including the Nebraska Appleseed Center and Change that Works.

"The current system is not sustainable for our families, our farmers and our businesses," said Carter of the Appleseed Center.

She said that one in four Nebraskans were uninsured for a month or more during 2007-08, andan estimated 38,000 more will become uninsured by 2019 if the bill is not passed.

Last year, Carter said, 101,000 non-elderly Nebraskans with insurance spent more than 25 percent of their pre-tax family income on health care.

Meanwhile, in Omaha, opponents to the health care bill protested over the lunch hour outside the Omaha office of Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who cast the critical 60th vote to advance the reform bill in the Senate.

Brad Stevens, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska, said the protest marked the 28th straight week that demonstrators had gathered on Tuesdays at the Nelson office.

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