by Randy Shannon

June 18, 2010

Some twenty concerned voters gathered at Cong. Jason Altmire’s Aliquppa, PA office at noon on June 16th for a Healthcare not Warfare vigil. The action was sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America and was held at the same time at over 100 Congressional offices across the country.

Local members of the PA 4th CD Chapter of PDA were joined by members of SOAR, the retired steelworkers, and members of the Western PA Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare.

Everyone present filled out comment forms to Cong. Altmire demanding cuts in the military budget instead of healthcare and social security to solve the deficit problem.

Congressman Altmire’s aide stated that he would never cut Medicare. However Randy Shannon and Bob Schmetzer pointed out that Cong. Altmire’s Blue Dog caucus had forced the Congress leadership to drop a provision to postpone a 21% cut in Medicare reimbursements to doctors. This cut went into effect on June 1 and will push more doctors out of the Medicare system.