Thank you for joining us today.

It is fitting that we gather on the 7^th Anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act – it’s a reminder of the critical times we face in our country and in our state. And a reminder of why we simply need to do better.

For the last seven years, we’ve had a Governor who has taken pleasure in publicly attacking our brothers and sisters in the labor movement; who has prioritized his own political ambition over the people of New Jersey; and who has failed to address many of the pressing healthcare issues facing our state.

On the federal level, we now have a President who has set his sights on repealing the ACA with no real plan to ensure that the people who need health insurance will have it. Every single day, we treat patients who worry not if but when they’ll lose their healthcare, and who will be there to fight for them.

Now more than ever, we need an advocate to stand beside us and fight for the people of New Jersey.

That’s why we’re proud to support Ambassador Phil Murphy for Governor.

As an organization, JNESO has never endorsed in a gubernatorial primary. But this year is different. The stakes have never been so high, and the dangers of staying silent have never been so great.

We know that Phil Murphy respects our right to organize and to collectively bargain and will continue to speak out against the anti-labor policies of the Trump administration; we know that he will fight to ensure that our members are protected in the workplace by policies that value nurses and healthcare workers and the patients they serve; and we know that Phil will work to ensure that every New Jerseyan has access to the quality, adorable healthcare that they deserve.

So on behalf of the JNESO Board of Directors and more than 5,000 nurses and healthcare workers we represent, it is my great pleasure to endorse Ambassador Phil Murphy for Governor of New Jersey.