We are going to get through the coronavirus outbreak together. If you are experiencing symptoms or are looking for more information, you can visit the website of the CDC or the Illinois Department of Health. We are closely monitoring the situation and its effects on the people of Illinois and our nation as we work together to keep our families and communities safe.

 

Coronavirus is devastating Latino and Black communities, John — and that’s no accident.

My neighbors in Little Village, and in communities like mine across the country, don’t get to work from home. We stock the grocery stores, staff the health clinics, deliver the mail, and keep the local taquerias and corner stores open, all the while using public transit to get to and from work. Many of my community members don’t have health insurance, and can’t afford critical drugs like insulin. Their jobs are essential, but their lives are treated as expendable.

I introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) because I can’t bear to watch this continue in my neighborhood and in thousands of communities like mine across the country. We MUST expand healthcare for Latino and Black communities, this crisis has gone on for far too long.

If passed, this Act will:

• Improve health care access and quality for all, including undocumented children and families.
• Fund interpreters for patients who are more comfortable being treated in another language or do not speak English, so they can still get the care they need and deserve.
• Include Black and Latino communities in clinical trials for vaccines and treatments.
• Expand mental health services and train mental health providers to understand the role culture and community plays in treatment of our community members
• Close the gap in infant and maternal mortality rates for Black and Latino mothers and babies, so that our community doesn’t suffer deaths that could be prevented and are prevented in other places.

Healthcare is a right — and expanding healthcare access is key to ending this pandemic and preventing future ones. Add your name and demand Congress pass this legislation TODAY >>>

This work won’t be easy — and it won’t happen overnight. But when we stand together, organize, and amplify our voices as one, we can create the change our communities need. Together, we are more powerful than big insurers, big pharmaceutical companies, and big special interests.

The HEAA is just the start, but I need you to help build the momentum we need:

Add Your Name

We must end the systemic racism that has allowed COVID-19 to devastate Black and Latino communities here in Chicagoland and across the country. Together, we can fulfill the promise of equality and justice for all.

¡Sí se puede!

Chuy García

P.S. — I’ll be joining Commissioner Alma Anaya, Senator Celina Vliianueva, Alderman Mike Rodriguez, and 22nd Ward IPO President Vanessa Uribe today at 5PM CST to discuss the history of Chicago’s southwest side progressive movement — and how together, we can engage progressives in 2020 and beyond. Click here to learn more >>>

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