A little rain didn't ruin this rally.
In the aftermath of the Senate Finance Committee's approval of legislation to revamp the country's current health care system, the UF College Democrats and the Alachua County Young Democrats held a rainy rally Wednesday on the Plaza of the Americas.
"We really hope to show Congress that young people care about and want health care reform," said Ben Cavataro, UF College Democrats' vice president for political affairs.
Gainesville city commissioner and mayoral candidate Craig Lowe also took the microphone. Lowe spoke without the protection of an umbrella, and his words were frequently cut short by the echoing microphone.
"Health care reform is definitely something that benefits all of us, regardless if we're in good health or bad health," Lowe said. "It's something that impacts the economy. It's something that affects our ability to do the best we can."
As Lowe concluded his speech, the Gainesville city commissioner asked rally participants to demand a public health option from their representatives in Washington.
The Senate Finance Committee's version of the health care legislation, which Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., voted to pass Tuesday, does not include a public option. The approval readies the bill for the floors of the House and Senate and faces heated Republican opposition.
Bryan Griffin, chairman of UF College Republicans, said the current legislation provides little oversight.
"Any reform that goes through with the public option, we as conservatives and Republicans cannot support," he said, citing veterans and government-run hospitals as some of most imperfect in the country.
Eric Conrad, editorial chair of UF College Democrats, reminded students that just because the Senate Finance Committee approved the health care bill does not mean the yet-to-be-finalized plan is in the clear.
"We can't stand by and let [our elected officials] decide how we live," Conrad said.
As the rain wore down to a drizzle and the rally ended, Ferdaouis Bagga, UF College Democrats vice president for community outreach, directed rally participants to sign a petition to urge Sen. Bill Nelson to support a public option plan. Bagga said more than 50 petitions were collected during the rally.
Pat McCullough, regional field director for the Democratic National Committee who also spoke at the rally, gave advice to UF students as she urged them to call upon their elected officials.
"We just need people to get involved. We need people to volunteer," she said. "What we need is boots on the ground."
