Moving the Agenda: 2006 CPL Pennsylvania Fellow Marc Stier brings the health care debate to the forefront in Pennsylvania   A professor, candidate for office and community activist for over 20 years, Marc Stier is focused these days on the national campaign for healthcare reform. As the Pennsylvania State Director of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a national organization focused on universal healthcare in Pennsylvania, he is at the center of the national fight for a new national healthcare system.

At the Forefront of Healthcare Reform
When HCAN looked to start a state office Pennsylvania to lead their advocacy and organizing efforts in the state, they turned to Marc to lead the effort. As an activist and political organizer for two decades, including being a former statewide SEIU healthcare organizer, he had the background and network that could help build the coalition necessary to move the agenda. Beginning as a national campaign, the goal of HCAN is getting major health care legislation passed in 2009 that will provide health care for all.

“Besides the civil rights movement, major health care reform could be the most important piece of welfare legislation since social security,” says Marc. “Health Care for America Now takes it a step further by calling for the elimination of racial disparities in health care as well.”

Health Care for America Now is in full support of President Obama’s health care plan. More specifically,the organization is calling for a system that would that would grant access to quality health care regardless of factor such as age or pre-exisitng medical conditions. Under the proposed system, Americans would have the choice between keeping their own private insurance plan or public health insurance.

Using a Collaborative Approach
As the new State Director for HCAN, Marc is using a collaborative approach that is bringing together a diverse group of political organizations from across the state, as well as focusing on media to raise awareness about the need for change.

In June of 2008, Marc organized a press conference at the Philadelphia City Hall to kick-off a statewide campaign for universal healthcare on the national level and on the state level as well.

To make the campaign kickoff a success, Marc and his team created a coalition of 15 progressive organizations in the state. These organizations covered a variety of issues including housing and racial justice. “Health care is an issue that impacts everyone, and it is a basic right,” says Marc. Because so many local families wer without affordable healthcare, Marc realized that having the support of organizations that represented working people and minorities was the key to a successful campaign.

Since the kickoff press conference, the statewide coalition that Marc helped build has grown to nearly 60 organizations. Two weeks before the 2008 Presidential Election, Marc organized a rally in Philadelphia which drew nearly 500 people. State Representatives Robert Brady and Allyson Schwartz were in attendance to speak on the importance of quality health care and their support of the Obama health care plan.

HCAN has also organized rallies and press conferences in other Pennsylvania cities as well. In northwest Pennsylvania, Marc organized a series of events with Representative Dahl-Kemper that educated the public about the issues of health care. Under Marc’s leadership, HCAN plans to be in every city in Pennsylvania.

Focusing on the State of Healthcare in Pennsylvania
As the Director of HCAN Pennsylvania, Marc has worked tirelessly to put the state at the forefront of the health care reform debate.

While the state is heavily unionized and many Pennsylvanians have health care, it is the high cost that puts workers, families, and senior citizens at a severe disadvantage. “Unlike other states, we have an older demographic who is effected by the cost of health care,” explains Marc.

Marc’s leadership for HCAN Pennsylvania is even more crucial in reaching out to Senator Arlen Specter, who recently left the Republican Party to become a Democrat.  “[As a Republican], Senator Specter was the primary challenger from the right-wing party,” says Marc.

Now that Senator Specter has switched parties, it makes it possible for the HCAN goal of affordable health care to become a reality. “We were concerned that strong Republican opposition to public health insurance would make it hard for him to support us. Now that he is a Democrat, we hope to stay in contact with him and his staff about endorsing our principles of [health care] reform.” 

Honing His Leadership Skills
The CPL Fellowship provided Marc with a network of activists who would join the HCAN coalition and organize local and statewide events. But more importantly, the CPL Pennsylvania Fellowship taught Marc the importance of long-term strategizing in progressive campaigns and learning how to get the attention of lawmakers in his state. Through the CPL Pennsylvania Fellowship, Marc honed his strategic steps for his political career.

Marc completed the CPL Pennsylvania Fellowship in 2006 and is currently serves as a faculty member for the current Fellowship class. Prior to becoming a CPL Fellow, Marc was a teacher for 25 years. While he missed teaching, what he really enjoys about being a faculty member is the opportunity to connect with young progressive leaders in Pennsylvania. “My long-term goal is to build a progressive movement in the state,” he says. “Being a faculty member is a good way to meet younger political activists and taking part in finding and training progressive leaders.”

To Marc, building a strong progressive movement also means shifting the debate about health care. “Health care is the most important thing progressives can be doing right now because  there is a chance for real dramatic improvement,” says Marc. “It is the key to building up a broader progressive movement. If we pass a new health care bill this year, we can address the well-being of working people and influence the future of politics in this country.”

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Marc was a graduate of CPL's State Political Leaders Fellowship in Pennsylvania in 2006. CPL's State Political Leaders Fellowship is a selective, 9-month, non-partisan, part-time leadership program for individuals interested in advancing progressive political and policy change. Learn more about the 9-month Political Leaders Fellowship.