American Nurses Association Endorses Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate

Wife Mary and 11,000 Other Oregon Nurses Join the Campaign to Make Health Care More Affordable

PORTLAND - More than 11,000 registered nurses today endorsed Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley in his bid for the U.S. Senate. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and its constituent member the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is a professional association and labor union and serves as a leading voice for making quality affordable health care available for all people. In December more than 145,000 hardworking people in the AFL-CIO endorsed Merkley's campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Mary Sorteberg, Jeff's wife of more than 15 years, is a registered nurse at Providence Portland Medical Center specializing in pre and post operative care for surgical patients. To see Jeff's wife talk about why Jeff will make health care affordable and available to everyone, go to http://www.jeffmerkley.com/2008/02/american_nurses.php.

"It is an honor to have the endorsement of the Oregon Nurses Association," Jeff Merkley said. "Too many United States Senators, like Republican Gordon Smith, get their perspective on the health care situation from insurance and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists. So, no wonder the system is broken. I get my perspective from my wife, Mary, a professional nurse who sees the system through the eyes of those who ought to matter most -- patients and their families."

"Jeff Merkley has been a strong advocate for issues that nurses know are important: hospital staffing, preventing workplace violence, and protecting the rights of union members," ONA President Bruce Humphrey said. "Most importantly for me, as the representative of over 11,500 registered nurses in Oregon, is Speaker Merkley's work to move our health care system in a way that provides access to needed care for all and promotes health within Oregon and across the nation."

Oregon health insurance premiums have risen over 44 percent since 2000. Jeff will work to make health insurance more affordable and expand access.

Health Care for All

As one of his first acts as Oregon's next U.S. Senator, Jeff Merkley will sign on as a co-sponsor of Oregon Senator Ron Wyden's health care bill, the Healthy Americans Act. The Healthy Americans Act would guarantee every American universal, affordable, comprehensive, portable, high-quality health coverage that is as good or better than Members of Congress have today.

Solve the Nursing Shortage

Jeff has proposed establishing a National Nurse Service Corps, providing educational scholarships to nurses that commit to serve in a health facility determined to have a critical shortage of nurses. Jeff has long supported the Capps Nurse Reinvestment Act, which would establish a similar program in Oregon.

Make Prescription Drugs Affordable

Jeff will help lead efforts to require the federal government to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies.

Senator Gordon Smith has sided with the big drug companies and opposed attempts to make prescription drugs more affordable. For his work on behalf of special interests, Senator Smith has received over $250,000 in campaign contributions from big drug companies.

Posted February 20, 2008
Endorsements, Press