SAENZ: ‘CANCER FUND’S PASSAGE CLEARS WAY FOR COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM’
(EDINBURG) —
The day after voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 15, the constitutional amendment creating a cancer research fund, Democratic State Representative challenger Eddie Saenz said the success of the statewide vote clears the way for comprehensive reforms in the next session of the Legislature to guarantee uninsured but eligible children the health insurance they need.
“Texans took an important step with yesterday’s vote,” said Saenz, who helped direct the South Texas effort to pass the cancer initiative. “Now it’s time to take the next step by making sure the Texas Legislature starts putting the children of hardworking parents first and the special interests of Big Insurance last.”
Proposition 15 passed with a comfortable two-to-one margin.
Saenz said his opponent, incumbent Aaron Pena, failed to stop Republican-driven cuts four years ago that stripped hundreds of thousands of eligible children from the successful Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Those cuts were only partially restored to a limited number of eligible children earlier this year.
President George W. Bush last month vetoed a bi-partisan bill approved by Congress that would have extended health insurance to more than four million uninsured children nationwide, including an estimated 1.4 million here in Texas.
“As the next state representative for District 40, I will work to achieve what my opponent and his partisan allies couldn't’t or wouldn’t,” Saenz said. “It’s time to show the politicians in both Washington and Austin that we know how to take care of our families.”
Saenz said his opponent’s vote this spring against HB 14, the measure that put the cancer fund on yesterday’s ballot, was the latest evidence that his priorities are out-of-step with the district.
“Austin changed Aaron,” Saenz said. “All it took was thousands of dollars in campaign cash from the insurance industry and its Austin lobbyists.”
Saenz is chairman of the board of South Texas Health Systems, an award-winning network of acute-care hospitals specializing in children’s care and cardiovascular health.
He also served as chairman of Avance, a non-profit organization whose focus is to strengthen families. Avance helped initiate the Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment process in the valley.
Aaron Pena using Automated
Seems like Gabriel is back with Aaron Pena. I just got a call from an automated service announcing Aaron Pena's kickoff. Talk about desperate. Why do I say Gabriel? Well, Gabriel loves to use those automated services. Hey Gabriel, make sure Aaron pays you the money he owes you from the last election. And don't take a check. We all know about those.
