LANSING, Mich. - Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) and State Representative Rick Shaffer (R-Three Rivers) gave testimony before the House Retirement Committee regarding House Resolution 307, which calls for bipartisan solutions to the health care and financial security crisis. HR 307 is identical to Senate Resolution 160, which Senator Schauer introduced in the Senate. Senate Resolution 160 and HR 307 both support the “Divided We Fail” campaign to make health care more accessible and to help citizens achieve greater financial security.

“The recent market meltdown shows that we need solutions to the financial security crisis now more than ever,” said Schauer. “This is affecting everyone’s pocketbooks and both Democrats and Republicans are struggling to make ends meet. We need to work together to find ways to protect our finances and ensure Michigan citizens are receiving healthcare they can afford.”

Included in the “Divided We Fail” platform are the goals that:

• Our children and grandchildren should have an adequate quality of life when they retire. Social Security must be strengthened without burdening future generations.

• Workers should be provided with financial incentives to save, should have access to effective retirement plans, and should be able to keep working and contributing to society regardless of age.

• All Americans should have access to affordable health care, including prescription drugs, and these costs should not burden future generations.

The AARP, Service Employees International Union, Business Roundtable, and National Federation of Independent Businesses are among the dozens of organizations supporting the campaign. For more details, visit www.dividedwefail.org.

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