ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Health care costs are spiraling out of control. More than 47 million Americans have no coverage at all. But instead of offering a plan to make sure everyone can get good health care, presidential candidate John McCain’s proposals would actually make it harder to get affordable coverage – and Albuquerque doctors and nurses are speaking out.

“More and more working families can’t afford the rising cost of health care – and they don’t quality for state programs because they make too much money,” said Judy Edwards, a school nurse. “The middle class is getting squeezed.”

Judy was among the speakers at a press conference today in Albuquerque. As a school nurse, she sees children who get sick over the weekend and wait until Monday morning to see her – because they don’t have health insurance. Even families with some insurance worry about costs, she said. “I see children whose parents work two jobs each – and even with four jobs they barely have any insurance.”

Yet, Sen. John McCain’s health care proposals would do nothing to control costs, would make it harder for Americans to get coverage and would erode consumer protections already in place. Speakers distributed a report detailing the shortcomings of McCain’s plan, and called for a health system that works for everyone.

Today’s event is part of “The Road to American Health Care,” a national bus tour aimed at mobilizing voters around comprehensive health care reform. The bus tour is being organized by SEIU, the largest union of health care workers in North America, as part of a sweeping campaign to elect a new President and Congress committed to fixing health care -- and then make sure those newly elected leaders immediately pass legislation that makes quality health care affordable for everyone.