Northern Virginia Lawmakers to Participate in Candlelight Vigil, for Those Affected by Health Care Coverage Gap

Health care advocates and local Democrats plan to gather Tuesday night in a vigil to "stand up for those affected by the General Assembly refusing to close the health care coverage gap in Virginia."

The vigil will take place Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Plaza, 2250 Clarendon Blvd. in Arlington.

Those who plan to attend include Northern Virginia lawmakers state Sen. Adam Ebbin, Del. Patrick Hope, Del. Alfonso Lopez, Del. Rob Krupicka, and a coalition of health care advocates that include: Social Action Linking Together, Young Invincibles, Progress Virginia, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (PPMW), NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, and SEIU Virginia.

On Monday, House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Fredericksburg, engaged in what the Virginia Coalition for a Healthier Virginia calls a "procedural sleight-of-hand and refused to allow the House to consider the governor's vetoes of budget items related to Medicaid expansion. This continued legislative inaction on Medicaid expansion is unacceptable. The House has rejected compromise after compromise, and they need to know that we won’t give up the fight for the 400,000 Virginians eligible for health coverage."