News release
Single Payer News, Jan. 4, 2016
In December six representatives, Danny Davis (IL), Grace Napolitano (CA), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Jerry McNerney (CA), Robin Kelly (IL), and Alan Lowenthal (CA), added their names as cosponsors on HR 676, Congressman John Conyers’ Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, the national single-payer legislation.
The total number of cosponsors is now 59, not including chief sponsor Conyers.
The more cosponsors that are added, the more quickly this real solution becomes politically viable. The more representatives who speak boldly for HR 676, the higher single payer advances on the nation’s agenda.
Call your representative and ask her or him to sign on to HR 676. The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Ask to speak to your representative by name. If you need to look up a representative, you can do so here.
When talking with representatives who have already signed on, encourage them to speak up for HR 676 on the House floor, to the press, in town hall meetings, and to put their support for HR 676 on their website. If they need further information, spend the time to bring the facts about HR 676 to their attention. This clear and simple statement of Dr. Marcia Angell may help.
The list of representatives who have already signed on to HR 676 is here.
The list of representatives who were cosponsors of HR 676 in earlier Congresses but have not yet signed on in the 114th is below. This is a good place to start.
Rep. Xavier Becerra, California 34th
Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Georgia 2nd
Rep. Corrine Brown, Florida 5th
Rep. G. K. Butterfield, North Carolina 1st
Rep. Andre Carson, Indiana 7th,
Rep. Marcia Fudge, Ohio 11th,
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Texas 30th,
Rep. David Loebsack, Iowa 2d
Rep. Nita M. Lowey, New York 17th
Rep. Ben Ray LujƔn, New Mexico 3d
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts 8th
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, New York 5th
Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey 10th
Rep. Jared Polis, Colorado 2nd
Rep. David Scott, Georgia 13th
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi 2nd
Rep. Nydia M. VelƔzquez, New York 7th
Rep. Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana 1st
Rep. Maxine Waters, California 43rd
“According to mythā¦a single-payer system is a good idea, but unrealistic…. What is truly unrealistic is anything else.”
–Marcia Angell, MD, former editor-in-chief, New England Journal of Medicine, June 10, 2009
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HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U.S. Patients will choose their own physicians and hospitals.
HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental (including oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric care, and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.
In the current Congress, HR 676 has 59 co-sponsors in addition to Congressman Conyers.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 622 union organizations including 151 Central Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 44 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NV, MA, RI, NH, ID.
For a list of union endorsers, or a sample endorsement resolution, contact:
Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org
https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer