Kathy Dahlkemper

Continuing our coverage from Washington DC, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi along with Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA) held a press conference with representatives from several youth organizations in support of the Young Adult Health Coverage Act which allows young Americans remain on their health insurance plan until they turn 26.

According to the Speaker

"Young adults are the most uninsured group in the country. They often lose coverage at age 19 when they graduate from high school or a few years later when they graduate from college. Once they enter the workforce, they face new obstacles to getting insurance. Today, they are speaking out and their voices are being heard. For many weeks, young Americans have added to the call to the chorus for reform. They have offered specific proposals about health insurance reform that works for everyone.

Our legislation answers their call by: ending discrimination based on pre-existing medical conditions, capping out-of-pocket costs, focusing on preventive care, investing in workforce training to boost the number of primary care doctors and nurses, creating a health insurance exchange to give Americans a better deal in the individual insurance market, and speaking personally, a public option in the House bill. Today, I’m pleased to announce that our bill will allow young people to stay on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday if they need it.

Our young people are our future. This is our opportunity to lay a foundation for growth, progress, and prosperity for our youth, and provide affordable, quality health care to every American. It is an opportunity we will not miss."

The Speaker has been a consistent ally to the youth movement, frequently lending her leadership to issues that support my generation. Reps. Van Hollen and Dahlkemper should be proud of their work on something so meaningful in the health care battle.

A few things to check out this evening...

• Barack Obama has created an online community, Renew America Together, linking those serving their respective communities.
• Winograd and Hais give their take on Renew America Together, calling it a "down payment to Millennials."
• McClatchy Newspapers looks at whether the torch has been passed again with Obama's victory.
• Many commentators are arguing that the GOP needs to step up their use of technology to court the youth vote. Spurning C-SPAN isn't a good start.
• Obama, meanwhile, won't let go of his BlackBerry.
• Want a job with the Obama administration? An ex-Clinton appointee gives you some tips.
• The Times profiles Pittsburgh's resurgence after it experienced its own recession a few decades ahead of the rest of the country.
• Campus Progress interviews Kathy Dahlkemper, a freshman Democrat from Pennsylania's Third District, who recently defeated Republican incumbent Phil English. Dahlkemper talks about youth involvement and has a pretty interesting story (I live in the Third District and had an opportunity to talk with Dahlkemper at one of the college meetings she references -- a good person for this district and for young people).
• mcjoan at DailyKos examines the national parks as an opportunity for job creation, a la the Civilian Conservation Corps in the '30s.
• Blagojevich will swear in the Illinois State Senate, which will then promptly put the governor on trial. What great political theater, eh?