RNs from country’s largest nurses union to be 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, will be joined by allies including members of Congress for a protest at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 3. After a rally with speakers, nurses and allies will march to the side of the White House where President Donald Trump’s new ballroom is being constructed.

Nurses and congressional leaders will be joined by labor and community allies to stand together and demand 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.

Who: Union nurses, allies, and members of Congress including Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Ro Khanna
What: Rally and march for ACA subsidies, Medicare for All
When: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 12 p.m.
Where: Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.

“One of the hardest parts about being a nurse in the U.S. is hearing from patients that they can’t afford the treatment they need,” said Mary Turner, RN and president of NNU. “Nurses go into this work to help people, but we are confronted every day with the ways our health care system is broken. Ideally, someday, we will provide health care as a human right. Right now, extending the ACA tax subsidies is critical to ensuring our existing health care system doesn’t deteriorate. Longterm, Medicare for All is essential to ensuring the health of every single patient."

“This is about protecting working families from the economic devastation these increased premiums will create,” added Turner. “Too many patients already struggle to get the care they need, and gouging people for insurance money only makes them more hesitant to seek out health care. We’re tired of patients being worried about affording health care.”

NNU 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. 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.

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.