“Dr. Donna Yee has consistently fought for our region’s seniors and has a longtime track record of service, advocacy, and care within our community. I am pleased to have her join me as my guest to this year’s State of the Union address,” said Congresswoman Doris Matsui in January.
Donna Yee, PhD, is the former CEO of ACC Senior Services who served for 17 years.
Each year, Members of Congress can invite one guest of their choosing to attend the State of the Union address with them. These guests are often used to highlight key community members, their contributions, and issues of importance to the Member and their work in Congress.
President Donald Trump delivered his address on February 4, 2020. “It was my honor to join Congresswoman Matsui at the State of the Union tonight,” said Donna. “Her voice and leadership in Congress clearly reflect her tireless dedication to our country’s seniors and their families. I am happy to share this time together to discuss solutions moving forward.”
Congresswoman Matsui has been a leader on key issues including the passing of the Affordable Care Act and mental healthcare reform. She says that the Trump Administration, despite vowing to strengthen and protect Medicare and Social Security, has continuously attacked these essential programs by cutting spending, shifting costs onto beneficiaries, and limiting choices for seniors and their families.
Congresswoman Matsui is a champion of H.R.3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. The bill gives Medicare the power to negotiate prices directly with drug companies.
In the first six months of 2019, the prices of more than 3,400 drugs increased in the U.S. The average increase was 17%. From 2012 to 2016, the annual cost of insulin for a single patient increased from $2,864 to $5,075.
In October 2019, Congresswoman Matsui tapped on ACC President/CEO Darrick Lam to appear with her at a press conference in Sacramento where she announced H.R. 3 to her district. Darrick gave his perspectives on how much this bill is needed for seniors. The bill passed the House on December 19 and is now in the Senate.
Congresswoman Matsui invited Donna to the State of the Union Address not just to attend the speech, but also to advocate with her. “I was given a chance to speak about the bill’s impact on not only those with low incomes and in poverty, but more so for the majority of seniors who have moderate incomes and who are not wealthy,” says Donna. “I was asked to participate in an interview in a huge hall jammed with reporters, cameras, and all manner of networks and independent news outlets.”
ACC is proud to have current and past CEOs who are shaping national healthcare legislation. Darrick is also a member of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
When asked about what she thought about her trip to Washington, Donna replied, “It was fun and I thoroughly enjoyed ‘hanging out’ with the Congresswoman.”
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