RNs from country’s largest nurses union were joined by members of Congress and allies to call for funding U.S. health care

Nurses represented by National Nurses United (NNU), the country’s largest nurses union, were joined by allies including members of Congress for a protest at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Following a rally with speakers, nurses and allies marched through Lafayette Park to demand funding for health care for their patients.

Nurses are demanding that Congress first extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies before the end of the year and then implement Medicare for All. Without action on the subsidies, ACA marketplace premiums will skyrocket in 2026 for more than 20 million people. And without action on Medicare for All, millions of patients will remain without guaranteed access to the vital care that should be provided to them as a human right.

Photos of today’s march and rally available here.

“We’re tired of hearing concerns from our patients about affording their care,” said Mary Turner, RN and president of NNU. “We cannot allow this broken system to fail patients further by allowing these ACA subsidies to lapse. This is a health crisis that needs to be addressed. In the short term, that means extending the subsidies. Long term, it means we must implement Medicare for All."

NNU nurses are proud advocates for Medicare for All, a single-payer health care system that would end health disparities, effectively control costs, and assure that everyone has equal access to an excellent standard of care as a human right.

Speakers from the day’s rally in Lafayette Square also emphasized the necessity of funding health care and implementing Medicare for All.

“Our health care system is broken. Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “Big Pharma is raking in obscene profits while Americans struggle to pay for the prescriptions they need. We need Medicare for All. I was proud to stand with National Nurses United today,”

“The American people deserve a health care system that works for them, not just billionaires and big insurance CEOs,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, sponsor of the Medical for All bill in the House. “We must immediately restore the ACA subsidies so premiums don’t go up in 2026, and also work to rebuild the entire broken system. It’s time for comprehensive health care where everyone’s in and no one’s out. It’s time for Medicare for All,”

“Congress must choose: Health care for Americans or the consequences in the midterms,” said Megan Essaheb, Director of Federal Affairs for People’s Action. “Johnson, Thune, and Trump are taking health care away from millions of people so they can give handouts to greedy CEOs and tech bros. Congress can and should ensure that all Americans have affordable health care, or own what they’ve done. If the GOP was worried about losing support in this year’s elections, just wait until Republicans seeking reelection are held accountable for skyrocketing costs and preventable tragedies that become GoFundMes in 2026.”

“People across the country are fighting for their lives, and now Congress needs to fight for us,” said Paul Osadebe, Federal Unionists Network organizer and steward at AFGE Local 476 at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Restore the ACA. Protect our care. This isn’t abstract policy—it’s life and death for millions of people. Federal workers—like all working people—refuse to be neglected or attacked by the very government we serve. Now is the time to stand up for our healthcare, our communities, and our futures.”

“Healthcare workers are facing a crisis of moral injury as they struggle to care for patients in a for-profit system that denies needed care, causes preventable suffering, and drives families into debt,” said Alankrita Olson, Board Member of Physicians for a National Health Program. “Many are leaving the profession as a result, worsening an already broken system. Extending ACA subsidies will protect coverage for millions, but Congress must also pass the most sustainable, broadly supported reform: Medicare for All.”

NNU, the nation’s largest nurses union, represents more than 225,000 nurses nationwide and includes affiliates California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, D.C. Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.  

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.