Martinsville, Va. — About 30 members and supporters of Virginia Organizing attended U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith’s “Traveling Office Hours” in Martinsville on Thursday to voice their opposition to the planned repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

For Mary E. Farris, a leader in the Martinsville/Henry County Chapter of Virginia Organizing, the issue is personal.

“I know several families who were denied health insurance due to their pre-existing conditions before the Affordable Care Act,” said Farris, a Martinsville resident. “I am a breast cancer survivor. I know from my own experience how important it is to have coverage. We need to fight to keep the Affordable Care Act. It’s helping a lot of people.”

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, nearly 30 million Americans stand to lose their health insurance, including 685,000 Virginians.

“I have been in the medical field, and I know what care is all about. I’ve seen people who don’t have medical care because of no insurance. And it’s not fair for some people to be covered and others not in a country like ours with all the riches that we have,” said Betty Chew, a Virginia Organizing leader and Henry County resident.

Virginia Organizing will continue to meet with elected officials and their staffs to encourage support of quality, affordable health care for all.

To interview a spokesperson for Virginia Organizing, please contact Amanda Pohl at 804-337-1912 or amanda@virginia-organizing.org.

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization that brings people together to create a more just Virginia.

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