We've Got The Power!
by C. A. Matthews
It seems like our fight for fair and compassionate health care coverage in the USA has been going on forever.
No kidding, it really has been going on for decades. The struggle started before most of us were born--and that includes the Baby Boomers. Millions of Americans without access to affordable health care just didn't spontaneously occur overnight. Our current patchwork system of private health insurance and government programs (delivered by for-profit corporations) took a while to blend, ferment and congeal into the stinky state of unpleasantness it is today.
These pressing questions keep us awake at night. They cause us to bemoan our fate of living in one of the last nations on Earth who thinks health care is a privilege of the wealthy few, not a human right. "Make America Great Again!" chant the mindless masses that don't see it's our idolatrous worship of endless profiteering which has created its downturn in the first place. However did we stumble and fall down the rabbit hole of greed and wind up in this surreal nightmare of narcissism?
If you think I'm just a whiner, take note: All is not lost--I believe we're actually winning this battle. We the People are making inroads into Washington, D.C., in spite of the corporate lobbyists paying dearly to put up roadblocks to our success. We have steered the narrative and driven the discussion into the direction we want it to go--toward instituting universal health care for all Americans. Because of this, we can honestly sing We are the Champions and pat ourselves on the back.
We've got the power!
But now is not the time to let up. Now is the time to continue to hammer the point into the pointed heads of our senators and congresspersons and media pundits. Now is the time to share information about H.R. 676, the Improved and Expanded Medicare for All Bill, currently introduced into Congress with everyone we meet.
I realize we're repeating ourselves like a broken record at times, but it's worth it. The flooded voice mails, jammed switchboards and bursting email inboxes demonstrate our resolve and unanimity of purpose. Our elected officials are quaking in their boots, and well they should be. We're awake, aware and, most of all, we are onto them and their corporate paymasters, and we're not letting up until they do as they're told or they pack their bags and leave governance to those who put the people's interests first.
We the People want a Medicare for All, single-payer, universal health care system. It's that simple. We will have it. All we have to do is keep fighting and never give up, never surrender.
Jimmy Carter, latest Democratic Leader to Back Single-Payer:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/07/25/jimmy-carter-latest-ex-democratic-leader-back-single-payer-when-will-current-ones
Health Care Research Paper Delivered to Congress (The Sanders Institute):
https://www.sandersinstitute.com/blog/health-care-research-paper-delivered-to-congress
Three Republicans Vote to Kill Senate Effort to Repeal Obamacare:
https://www.nationofchange.org/2017/07/28/three-republicans-vote-kill-senate-effort-repeal-obamacare/
The Promise of Medicare-for-All:
https://americansystemnow.com/the-promise-of-medicare-for-all/
Some graphics to share with others when they ask you why you support Medicare for All. (Right click on image to copy.)
***
Ways to take action and demonstrate people power this week:
Health
care is a necessity. Exactly 52 years ago, President Lyndon
Johnson signed Medicare into law. This social insurance plan was created
to give health insurance to seniors and was later expanded to those
with disabilities. Now, more than ever, we need to build upon this
program and expand it to provide universal health care coverage as a
right for all Americans.
All means
all. Everyone in our country should be able to go to the doctor when
they are sick. Everyone, regardless of income, should not have to choose
between getting the care they need and feeding their family.
Together,
we must push the leaders of our country to embrace health care as a
human right. This past week you helped push three Republican senators to
stand up for what is right and vote against the so-called “skinny
repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. Thank you for making thousands of
calls to your Senator's office and expressing the need to protect health
care in our country.
There is still significant work to be done to improve our nation's health care system.
This
summer we will gather even more support for Medicare for All and a slate
of necessary bills that speak to the needs of people all across the
country. Our People's Platform is just the beginning of how we will
transform our country together.
We have already come so far and with you by our side I am more confident than ever in our political revolution.
In solidarity,
Nina Turner
President
Our Revolution
President
Our Revolution
***
Bernie Sanders asks for our thoughts on Medicare for All.
Thanks so much for your ongoing support.
Let me take this opportunity to give you an update as to what's been happening in recent weeks.
As you
all know, the disastrous Republican "health care" proposals have, for
the moment at least, been defeated. They were defeated because millions
of Americans stood up and fought back. They made phone calls and sent
emails, letting members of Congress know how they felt. They got their
friends involved in the struggle by utilizing social media. They
attended town hall meetings. They went to rallies, including some that I
attended in Michigan, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio,
Utah, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
And in
poll after poll, an overwhelming majority of the American people were
absolutely clear about their opposition to these destructive plans:
No. We
will not be throwing 32 million, 23 million, 22 million or 16 million
Americans off of health insurance in order to give tax breaks to the
rich and large corporations, and to further the right wing extremist
ideology of the Koch brothers.
No. We
will not be cutting Medicaid by $800 billion, raising premiums for older
workers, defunding Planned Parenthood and making it almost impossible
for people with pre-existing conditions to get affordable insurance.
Needless
to say, while we have won at least a temporary victory by defeating
horrific Republican proposals, that is not good enough. We need to go on
the offensive, not simply remain in a defensive posture.
The
status quo is not satisfactory. Too many Americans continue to have no
health insurance. Too many are paying premiums, deductibles and
co-payments that are much too high. Too many cannot afford the
outrageously high cost of prescription drugs they need. Too many cannot
gain access to high quality primary health care or dental care, even
when they have insurance. Our goal is not complicated, and it is not
radical. It is to have the United States join every other industrialized
country on earth in guaranteeing health care for all. Health care must
not be considered as a privilege or a commodity. It is a human right to
which every man, woman and child is entitled.
Our goal
is to create a rational, cost-effective health care system. Today in the
United States, we are spending almost $10,000 a year per person on
health care. This is absurd and unsustainable. We must not continue a
system which is, by far, the most expensive, wasteful and bureaucratic
in the world.
Our goal
is to put health care dollars into disease prevention and the provision
of health care, not insurance company profits, not outrageous salaries
for health industry CEOs, not advertising, not billing, not lobbying or
campaign contributions.
Our goal is to move this country to a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system.
Let me be
clear. This will be an enormously difficult and prolonged struggle, and
one which will require the efforts of tens of millions of Americans in
every state in this country. It will, in fact, require a political
revolution in which the American people participate in the political
process in a way that we have not seen in the recent history of our
democracy.
In order
to pass a Medicare-for-all, single payer system we will be taking on the
most powerful special interests in the country: Wall Street, the
insurance companies, the drug companies, the corporate media, the
Republican Party and the establishment wing of the Democratic Party. In
opposition to our efforts there will be a never-ending barrage of TV
ads, editorials, political attacks and lies.
If we are
going to be successful in this struggle, we have got to be smart – very
smart. Not only do we need strong legislation (which I will be offering
shortly and an outline of which I will be sending to you), but we need
an unprecedented organizing and educational campaign.
How do we
counter the lies and distortions against Medicare-for-all that is sure
to come? How do we make certain that all of us – men and women, gay and
straight, black, white, Latino, Asian-American, Native American -– are
in this struggle together? How do we bring young and healthy people to
stand alongside the elderly, the sick and the poor?
The
battle that we are undertaking is enormous and unprecedented in the
modern history of our country. Please send us your ideas as to how we
can best go forward. Please give us your vision of what a humane and
rational health care system looks like. Please share your experiences
with the current system. Please help us map out an effective political
strategy.
We are in this together. We need everyone's ideas.
Thanks again for your support and all that you are doing.
In solidarity,
Bernie
***
- Website: www.
progressivecongressactionfund. org - Facebook: www.facebook.com/
ProgCongressActionFund
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProgCongressAct
In 1948, President Harry Truman announced the integration of the armed forces. Today, President Donald Trump announced, via a tweet, that transgender people will now be barred from serving in the military "in any capacity." This is purely based on prejudice, not on military readiness or concern for the safety and security of our troops. A person's ability to serve our country has nothing to do with gender identity or expression.
This ban is discriminatory and dangerous and will prohibit able-bodied people from enlisting or continuing to serve in the armed forces. The President claims erroneously that the cost of medical care for transgender troops is an adequate reason for denying transgender people the ability to serve in the military. Not only does this discount the worth of people who put their lives on the line every day, but it also comes in the middle of a blatant attempt to deprive millions of people of access to affordable healthcare by repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Please read our full statement below.
-- Progressive Congress Action Fund
Statement: POTUS Ban on Transgender Military Service Members Is Discriminatory and Dangerous
Press Contact: Olivia Alperstein
(609) 206-7920
Washington, DC—On Wednesday morning, the President announced via Twitter his intention to impose a ban on transgender people serving in the military. In response, Progressive Congress Action Fund issued the following statement:
“The President’s announcement of a ban on transgender military service members is discriminatory, unsound policy which will deprive able, capable people of serving and defending our country. Our President has chosen, via Twitter, to announce a reversal of a critical military policy based purely on prejudice, not sound judgment. Are we now going to ban all women from serving in the military, too, despite all evidence that gender has nothing to do with a person’s ability to serve?
This is a giant, dangerous step backwards. Our nation’s previous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy did not even ban LGBT service members outright, and all it did was force military members to serve while in the closet. It hurt our troops and established a dangerous culture of undeserved punishment; we are still apologizing to and rectifying the dishonorable discharges of people who were forced to leave the military solely because of their sexual orientation.
Our country is not made safer by hatred and bigotry toward transgender people; it is made safer by our troops, who deserve our full support regardless of gender identity or expression. We urge the President to rethink this policy out of consideration for our national security interests, both foreign and domestic. We need capable men and women to serve in all branches of our military, full stop, and this policy would do nothing but discourage able people from enlisting and or continuing to serve their country.”
About Progressive Congress Action Fund
Progressive Congress Action Fund is a 501(c)4 organization that serves as the vital linkage between progressive Members of Congress and grassroots organizers around the country, turning bold policy ideas into action and advancing a progressive agenda.From Open Media: Millions of Americans have submitted comments to the FCC to stand up for an open web — this is our chance make them count.
***
Anti-Net Neutrality forces have used bots and submitted fake comments, even using the names of “dead people”1 and noted pro-Net Neutrality advocates2 in an effort to thwart the democratic process.
Now we need Congress to demand the FCC investigate and throw out fake comments. We’ve built an easy to use tool that will let you seamlessly send a letter to your local papers to demand your Member of Congress stand for an open Internet.
WRITE YOUR LETTER
We still have a chance to win this thing. But we have to act now.
Can you help me? Katy
Footnotes:
[1] Net neutrality: 'Dead people' signing FCC consultation: BBC
[2] FCC Has No Interest In Figuring Out Who Filed Fake Anti-Neutrality Comments In Your Name: Consumerist
