Press Releases

Health Care Vote Shows Who Sides With Working Families vs. Insurance Companies

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the heels of an historic late night vote in the House of Representatives for a good, balanced health care reform bill, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO released its scoring of how our state's U.S. representatives voted on HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The legislation, which passed Saturday evening by a vote of 220 to 215, takes America another step closer to bringing security and stability to our nation's health care system. Working families would get much needed relief from skyrocketing health care prices by being able to choose between a public option and private for-profit insurance.

Pennsylvania Congressional Health Care Scorecard

A+ /Sided with Working Families

Robert Brady (D-PA-1), Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA-3), Joe Sestak (D-PA-7), Patrick Murphy (D-PA-8), John Murtha (D-PA-12), Christopher Carney (D-PA-10), Paul Kanjorski (D-PA-11), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13), Mike Doyle (D-PA-14)

F-/ Sided With Insurance Companies

Jason Altmire (D-PA-4), Glenn Thompson (R-PA-5), Jim Gerlach (R-PA-6), Bill Shuster (R-PA-9), Charles Dent (R-PA-15), Joseph Pitts (R-PA-16), Tim Holden (D-PA-17), Tim Murphy (R-PA-18), Todd Platts (R-PA-19)

"This is an historic victory that moves Pennsylvania's working families one step closer to the passage of real health care reform," said William George, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. "And it was a huge test of who will stand with working families versus the moneyed special interests. While some of the Commonwealth's members passed with flying colors by standing up for the people who sent them to Washington, others failed by voting to keep the status quo. Make no mistake: Working families will remember who fulfilled the promises they were elected on and they will continue to stand with their Representatives who delivered."

The legislation would also help small businesses access quality, affordable health care with lower rates and stable pricing from year to year. And it would lessen the burden of covering the uninsured by requiring employers to provide health care for their employers or pay into a common fund.

The House bill is also financed in a responsible way -- it is fully paid for and would reduce our nation's rising deficits. Furthermore, it does not attempt to pay for health care on the backs of middle class working families by increasing taxes on the health care that families are already struggling to pay for.

Once the Senate votes on its own bill, the two bills will be reconciled into final health care reform legislation.

SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO

AARP Praises House Passage of Health Care Reform Bill

Critical legislation would strengthen Medicare, improve coverage for all Americans

CHICAGO, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the United States House of Representatives passed by a vote of 220-215, critical health care reform legislation that would strengthen Medicare for seniors and end discrimination by insurance companies that prices millions of Americans out of affordable health coverage.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors by closing the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage and allowing the program to negotiate lower drug prices. It adds cost-free preventive services like cancer screenings and cracks down on waste and fraud to protect and strengthen traditional Medicare benefits. In addition, the legislation provides benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program.

For all Americans -- especially those age 50 to 64 who often struggle to find affordable insurance -- this plan strictly limits how much more insurance companies can charge based on age, and stops insurers from denying coverage based on a person's health history or gender. For those who still cannot find affordable coverage on their own, this bill offers help so they can purchase insurance.

ILLINOIS HOUSE MEMBERS VOTE:

    ILLINOIS                   VOTED YES ON THE            VOTED NO ON THE
                             AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE     AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
                                FOR AMERICA ACT             FOR AMERICA ACT
    ----------------------   ----------------------     ----------------------
    Bobby Rush (D)                    X
    Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D)            X
    Daniel Lipinski (D)               X
    Luis Gutierrez (D)                X
    Mike Quigley (D)                  X
    Peter Roskam (R)                                              X
    Danny Davis (D)                   X
    Melissa Bean (D)                  X
    Janice Schakowsky (D)             X
    Mark Kirk (R)                                                 X
    Debbie Halvorson (D)              X
    Jerry Costello (D)                X
    Judy Biggert (R)                                              X
    Bill Foster (D)                   X
    Timothy Johnson (R)                                           X
    Donald Manzullo (R)                                           X
    Phil Hare (D)                     X
    Aaron Schock (R)                                              X
    John Shimkus (R)                                              X

"We applaud those Illinois members of the House who supported this crucial legislation," said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois Senior State Director. "This bill will help millions of older Americans get the health coverage they need, while strengthening Medicare for today's seniors and future generations. We look forward to working with these lawmakers to pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act this year."

"It's disappointing that some lawmakers voted against this bill and the opportunity to fix our health care system," Gallo added. "When millions of older Americans are struggling to afford quality insurance and millions of seniors must choose between their prescriptions and other necessities, we know this legislation must move forward. We hope they will reconsider their votes when a health care bill returns to the House for final approval."

AARP notified the 111th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its nearly 40 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members.

AARP members can see how their representatives voted on health care reform by going to www.aarp.org/governmentwatch. AARP's Government Watch is a one-stop online portal that will be tracking and publicizing every designated key vote on issues facing Americans age 50-plus. A "Key Vote Summary" highlighting votes on these issues will be published at the end of each congressional session.

SOURCE AARP Illinois

AARP Praises House Passage of Health Care Reform Bill

Critical legislation would strengthen Medicare, improve coverage for all Americans

BOISE, Idaho, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the United States House of Representatives passed critical health care reform legislation that would strengthen Medicare for seniors and end discrimination by insurance companies that prices millions of Americans out of affordable health coverage.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors by closing the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage and allowing the program to negotiate lower drug prices. It adds cost-free preventive services like cancer screenings and cracks down on waste and fraud to protect and strengthen traditional Medicare benefits. In addition, the legislation provides benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program.

For all Americans -- especially those age 50 to 64 who often struggle to find affordable insurance -- this plan strictly limits how much more insurance companies can charge based on age, and stops insurers from denying coverage based on a person's health history or gender. For those who still cannot find affordable coverage on their own, this bill offers help so they can purchase insurance.

    IDAHO             VOTED YES ON THE          VOTED NO ON THE
                    AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE    AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
                       FOR AMERICA ACT           FOR AMERICA ACT
    -----         ------------------------- -------------------------

    Minnick, Walt                                     X
    Simpson, Mike                                     X

    *Did not vote
    ** How a legislator votes on issues is only one factor in evaluating
    his or her legislative performance, which should also include such
    things as constituency services and committee work.

"It's disappointing that Representatives Minnick and Simpson voted against this bill and the opportunity to fix our health care system," said Jim Wordelman, State Director for AARP in Idaho. "When millions of older Americans are struggling to afford quality insurance and millions of seniors must choose between their prescriptions and other necessities, we know this legislation must move forward. We hope they will reconsider their votes when a health care bill returns to the House for final approval."

AARP notified the 111th Congress that it was tracking roll call votes on key legislation important to its nearly 40 million members and reporting the outcomes of these votes back to its members.

"When Americans understand the issues and where their lawmakers stand, they can make smart decisions," added Wordelman. "AARP will be there to give our members, as well as all Americans, the most accurate information we can."

AARP members can see how their representatives voted on health care reform by going to www.aarp.org/governmentwatch. AARP's Government Watch is a one-stop online portal that will be tracking and publicizing every designated key vote on issues facing Americans age 50-plus. A "Key Vote Summary" highlighting votes on these issues will be published at the end of each congressional session.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's nearly 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP Idaho

ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel, November 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pointer Telocation Ltd. (Nasdaq Capital Market: PNTR, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange: PNTR) - develops, produces and markets high-end technology and products for AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) solutions providers for stolen retrieval, fleet management, car & driver safety, public safety, vehicle security and asset management, and a leading RSA (Road Side Assistance) provider, will release its financial results for Q3 2009 on Wednesday, Nov 11th 2009.

Pointer Telocation's management will host a conference call with the investment community to review and discuss the financial results:

Conference call will take place on 9:30 AM EST, 16:30 Israel time.

To listen to the call, please dial in to one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your call at least 5 minutes before the conference call commences.

                            From USA: +1-888-407-2553

                            From Israel: 03-918-0609

A replay will be available from Nov 12th, 2009 at the company website: http://www.pointer.com .

About Pointer Telocation:

Pointer Telocation is a leading provider of technology and services to the automotive and insurance industries, offering a set of services including Road Side Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Recovery and Fleet Management. Pointer has a growing client list with products installed in over 400,000 vehicles across the globe: the UK, Greece, Mexico, Argentina, Russia, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Latvia, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Costa Rica, Norway, Venezuela, Hungary, Israel and more. Cellocator, a Pointer Products Division, is a leading AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) solutions provider for stolen vehicle retrieval, fleet management, car & driver safety, public safety, vehicle security and more. In 2004, Cellocator was selected as the official security and location equipment supplier for the Olympic Games in Athens. For more information: http://www.pointer.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of Pointer and its affiliates. These forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Pointer, only, and are subject to risk and uncertainties relating to changes in technology and market requirements, the company's concentration on one industry in limited territories, decline in demand for the company's products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Pointer undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the company, reference is made to the company's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact: Zvi Fried, V.P. and Chief Financial Officer, Tel.; +972-3-572 3111, E-mail: zvif@pointer.com

Yael Nevat, Commitment-IR.com, Tel: +972-9-741 8866, E-mail: yael@commitment-IR.com

SOURCE Pointer Telocation Ltd

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by Randall Terry, Director, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex.

Mr. Terry and his associates from around the country have been fighting to keep child-killing by abortion out of any health care bill for months.

Mr. Terry states: "This is a great first step to victory -- a touchdown in the first quarter -- but we have a lot of fighting ahead of us. Our rejoicing must be tempered by reality. The Senate Bill must also prohibit any money from going to child-killing; and then we must insure that the conference committee does not include child-killing in the final bill, should it pass the Senate. We have many hurdles left.

"Those of us who despise Socialism must now broaden our battle to kill the bill entirely in the Senate. Our biggest battle is to stop the slaughter of children. The next battle is to keep our children from being saddled with trillions of dollars of debt."

Randall Terry also states: "Many of us would rather die half-starved free men than be well fed slaves on Uncle Sam's plantation."

To schedule an interview with Mr. Terry on the next wave of action to "kill the bill," call 904-687-9804.

SOURCE Randall Terry, Director, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex