Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel joined several of his House colleagues and over 200 clergy, grassroots leaders and families from around the country at The Faith and Family Groups Summit Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The “National Affordability Summit” focused on the benefits of the House-passed health care reform package, and its provisions for affordable health care coverage for low-income people.

The event was sponsored by Community Catalyst, Families USA, Health Rights Organizing Project, PICO National Network, and the Service Employees International Union, and is supported by local and national organizations across the country, including the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition.

“The insurance companies have been fighting against health reform for decades and have been able to ‘play God’ for far too long. They have been picking and choosing who may live or die as they reject claims, deny coverage and essentially allow people to die from untreated diseases. This plan will help them afford coverage and will simply save lives,” said Rep. Engel.

“I have and will continue to urge my colleagues to keep affordability a priority as the House and Senate bills merge, so Americans at long last can have widespread access to affordable health care,” added Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health. “I am proud to stand with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and everyone else who stands for providing affordable health coverage to millions more Americans.”