FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/October 16, 1996 CONTACT: Joan Meehan [202-651-7020] Nurses Flex Political Muscles in 1996 ElectionsTroubled by the unchecked growth of so-called "market-driven health care reform," America's nurses are making their mark in the 1996 election. In this election year, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is capitalizing on the power of its numbers and nurses' reputation of actively supporting candidates who promote policies that protect the nation's health and well-being.ANA's Development as a Political PlayerIt has only been in the last 25 years that the ANA has become a political force to be reckoned with, creating the Congressional District Coordinator and Senate Coordinator Network in 1971, which later became N-STAT, the Nurses Strategic Action Team. N-STAT is a grass-roots network of more than 40,000 nurses, coordinated by ANA in conjunction with the State Nurses Associations (SNAs) to make nurses' voices heard on Capitol Hill. Part of that is the N-STAT Rapid Response Team, which advances nursing's legislative and political agenda by communicating with members of Congress.However, it was really in 1993, with the involvement of ANA in promoting federal-level health care reform, that a breakthrough occurred. "Before health care reform, it used to be, What do the doctors think, what do the hospitals think?'" said Chris DeVries, ANA Political Director, "But we went up on the Hill and testified 12 or 15 times, and now it's What do the nurses think?' Today we are viewed by policy makers around town as the voice for nursing." ANA-PAC Rises to the TopFounded in 1974, ANA-PAC promotes the improvement of the health care system by raising funds from SNA members and contributing them to the support of worthy candidates for federal office who have demonstrated their beliefs in the legislative goals and initiatives of the ANA. In the 1993-94 election cycle, ANA-PAC contributions totaled more than $1 million, making it the third largest health-related PAC in the country.In the most recent election cycle (1993-94), ANA-PAC ranked second nationwide in the increase of contributions to candidates for federal office, placing it 30th among the more than 4,000 PACs in the United States. To date, in this election cycle, ANA-PAC has endorsed 21 Senate candidates and 213 House of Representatives candidates. RNs Campaigning for Their CandidatesAs the elections approach, nurses nationwide are mobilizing to support candidates in some of the country's most hotly contested races. Candidates who support nursing issues stand to benefit from the organizing efforts of dedicated, politically active nurses, often earning the endorsement of the ANA-PAC.In Iowa, nurses formed a Nurses for Harkin Steering Committee and the Nurses for Harkin Campaign Team to support Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). These teams have mobilized nurses across the state, identified local leaders willing to coordinate activities, and have rustled nurses to attend every Harkin state rally and town meeting. Alexia Green, RN, member of the Texas Nurses Association and N-STAT, heads up two committees for Texas state Senator Jim Turner (D) in his bid for a seat in Congress. Turner's district spans more than 19,000 square miles, but Green has remained undaunted in her work to organize nurses on the candidate's behalf. In most cases, the nurses working on campaigns forge a strong relationship with the candidates they support. In the case of Anne Keller, RN, of the New Jersey States Nurses Association, the relationship with her candidate, Republican Kathleen Donovan, spans over a decade. While earlier this year Keller worked to secure the Republican nomination for Donovan, her efforts are now focused on inspiring nurses to become involved in the campaign. RN Candidates Aim for Capitol HillWith each year, more and more nurses throw their hat in the ring and run for public office at the state or national level. Currently, 71 nurses serve as state legislators around the country, and congressional ranks boast one nurse. In addition, many nurses hold key administrative and regulatory spots within both the federal and state governments. When asked why they make such choices, nurses respond again and again that they wish to give their profession a voice in making and shaping policy.This year, five nurses are attempting to win seats in Congress. Running for reelection to Congress is registered nurse Eddie Bernice Johnson, RN, (D-TX) elected in 1992 from Texas' 30th district. Johnson is the only registered nurse currently serving in Congress. One of the most visible of the nurse candidates is Carolyn McCarthy, LPN, the widow and mother of two victims of the Long Island Railroad massacre in 1993. In August, McCarthy addressed the Democratic National Convention, promising to fight to retain the assault weapons ban and to end "the violence that means millions of dollars in hospital costs every year, and so much pain." Two other candidates, San Diego oncology nurse Rita Tamerius, RN, (D) and Iowa licensed practical nurse Connie McBurney, LPN, (D) were motivated to run because of Congress' move to shrink the health care system. "Our practice will be determined by what happens in health care financing in the next 10 years. If we're not part of the solution, we'll be out of there," said Tamerius in an October 1996 American Journal of Nursing article. McBurney took a leave of absence from her job as a patient advocate at an Iowa children's hospital to oppose incumbent Republican Greg Ganske, who supports cuts in Medicaid. She proposes a plan for kids-only health insurance that would be deductible from taxes. Operating room nurse, Lydia Spottswood, RN (D) is challenging freshman Rep. Mark Neumann (R) in the race for Wisconsin's First Congressional District seat. In 1995, Spottswood was elected to by City Council President and led the effort to obtain a federal grant to create a primary care health and dental center in Kenosha. Registered Nurses/Registered Voter ProjectIn 1992, the potential voting power of registered nurses approximated the combined votes received by Clinton, Bush, and Perot in Indiana, Minnesota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and exceeded presidential vote totals in 29 other states. Unfortunately, less than half of American women, who comprise a majority of the nursing profession, voted in the 1994 elections.To spur registered nurses to vote in this year's election, ANA and the state nurses associations this summer mounted a Registered Nurse/Registered Voter campaign which reached nearly 200,000 nurses. The message behind the campaign, running during ANA's Centennial Celebration year, is simple: One hundred years ago, ANA's first president, Isabel Hampton Robb, united a profession but did not have the right to vote because she was a woman. One hundred years later, all nurses, both men and women, can and should vote. The Registered Nurse/Registered Voter kit included a poster, instructions, three issues fact sheets, a sample newsletter article, clip art, buttons, national mail voter registration forms and instructions, RN voter registrant tracking sheet, and state voter registration contacts. ANA Presence at Both National Political ConventionsANA is a bipartisan organization that works with both major political parties to advance nursing's legislative agenda. In that spirit, ANA had a significant presence at both the Republican and Democratic conventions.Republican Convention: ANA President Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, and ANA-PAC Secretary Vicki Boyce, MSN, RN, represented ANA at the Republican Convention. ANA hosted a luncheon during the convention to honor nurse delegates and other "friends of nursing." In coalition with the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association and the American Health Care Association, ANA co-hosted a reception honoring AIDS activist Mary Fisher. Former First Lady Betty Ford and numerous members of Congress from both Houses attended the reception. Finally, for the duration of the meeting, ANA, along with the Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the American Association of Physical Therapists, hosted a hospitality suite at the San Diego Convention Center that was visited by hundreds of delegates, members of Congress and state legislators. Democratic Convention: ANA President Malone again represented the association at the Democratic Convention, accompanied by ANA-PAC Chair Catherine Dodd, MS, RN, and ANA First Vice President Mary Foley, MSN, RN. ANA co-hosted a Domestic Policy Forum with the American Hospital Association and the AFL-CIO. The forum participants, made up of U.S. Senators, members of the Clinton administration, and members of the co-hosting groups, discussed policies in five areas: health care, workforce, crime, education and the environment. ANA hosted a luncheon to honor all nurse delegates and alternates to the Convention as well as other "friends of nursing." Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, RN, addressed the group about the need for nurses to become politically active. Special guests included members of Congress and the administration and Roger Clinton, President Clinton's brother, who made a surprise visit.
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