Coordinators
of a pledge by
Democratic National Convention delegates
not to vote for the party platform if it
lacks a commitment to Medicare for All
announced on Tuesday afternoon that more
than 700 delegates have signed the
pledge.
“The Democratic Party has affirmed that
healthcare is a human right. Therefore,
it is the responsibility of the
government to uphold and protect our
right to healthcare by untying it from
employment and profit margins and
administering a universal, single-payer
system with guaranteed healthcare for
all,” Judith Whitmer, chair
of the Nevada delegation to the
convention, said this afternoon.
Whitmer added: “This is not a divisive
issue. The majority of the delegates to
the 2020 Democratic National Convention
and the majority of the American people,
Democrats and Republicans, support a
Medicare For All single-payer healthcare
system. We are united in removing Trump
from the White House. We are united in
electing Vice President Joe Biden as our
next president. It’s time for the
Democratic Party, the party of the
people, to unite around Medicare For All
as the winning message in November.”
And Whitmer said: “The COVID-19 pandemic
has laid bare the failure of a private
insurance system to meet the needs of
the American people. During this
public health crisis, millions of people
lost their jobs and their healthcare at
the same time. Unemployed workers
can’t afford Cobra payments at
two-to-three times the normal premium or
the high premiums and deductibles on the
ACA exchange -- so they’re going without
healthcare. . . . We’re heading into a
medical debt crisis. Families have to
choose between paying rent or buying
health insurance.”
Two national activist organizations,
RootsAction.org and Progressive
Democrats of America, immediately
endorsed the pledge campaign.
“As made clear by many polls, it’s
beyond dispute that Medicare for All
enjoys strong majority support from all
registered voters nationwide,”
said Norman Solomon,
national director of RootsAction.org and
a Bernie Sanders delegate from
California. “Even before the pandemic
struck, tying health insurance to
employment left tens of millions of
Americans with shoddy coverage or no
coverage at all. Now, millions of newly
unemployed people are losing whatever
coverage they had. As delegates, we’re
insisting that the Democratic Party
should stand up for healthcare as a
human right in reality as well as in
rhetoric.”
Alan Minsky, executive director
of Progressive Democrats of America,
released a statement from the
organization today, declaring:
“PDA supports the convention
delegates who are planning to vote
against the proposed 2020 Democratic
Party platform because it does not
include a universal single-payer
Medicare for All program. There are
two very simple reasons for this. 1)
America's private health insurance
system is a national disgrace that
prioritizes profits over people,
delivering very subpar results at
excessive cost compared to similar
countries -- a point tragically driven
home by the ongoing pandemic. 2)
Medicare for All fixes these failures by
allowing America's world class doctors
and healthcare professionals to
practice medicine for all
Americans, free at the point of
service.”
The PDA statement added: “The failing
U.S. healthcare system, and what to do
about it, was the most discussed topic
during this past year's
presidential debates. At the end of
these, the exit polling was unequivocal.
Democratic voters overwhelmingly want
Medicare for All. That certainly sounds
like something that should be in
the party platform.
“Not surprisingly, public support for
Medicare for All rose even higher after
COVID-19 struck. A Harris
X/Hill poll from the spring showed
69 percent of all Americans support the
universal single-payer healthcare plan.
A staggering 88 percent of Democrats
were in favor. Given these results, and
the suffering of the American people
during the pandemic, Medicare for
All would not only be a winning
issue in November -- it would be a
landslide winning issue.
“Indeed, PDA is opposing the current
party platform in the spirit of helping
Democrats triumph this fall. To be
crystal clear, so there can be no
misunderstanding, PDA will be doing
everything we can to help Joe Biden
defeat Donald Trump. As such, we
believe that a spirited show of support
for Medicare for All by the party's
vibrant progressive wing will draw a
sharp distinction with Republicans. It
will signal to both progressives, and to
the tens of millions of Americans who
oppose the current for-profit system,
that the Democratic Party is a big tent
organization where there is passionate
debate over policies to improve the
lives of Americans.”
- 2020 « Conventions « Democratic National Convention «
- Platform Input
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfY5U1TnEbx2YcFC9s-xU45Qac6p0j9RVr6we-fOMWkWHYqzg/viewform?fbclid=IwAR0CXreUUGhOQTldHppvIS6IXgeH433Z7fznOaIr71LxBCaAQOY7v5O11lQ
July 2020
Petition to Vote Against a Democratic National Platform That Does Not Include Medicare for All
Bernie Sanders delegates from the Nevada
delegation to the Democratic National
Convention call on all delegates to sign on
to this petition and pledge to vote against
any platform that does not include a plank
supporting universal, single-payer Medicare
for All.
Whereas, this Country is currently in the throes of a catastrophic public health crisis; and
Whereas, this emergency has led to massive job losses due to the Country’s response to that crisis; and
Whereas, millions of Americans have lost their healthcare insurance because of those job losses at a time when healthcare is needed most; and
Whereas, this crisis has highlighted the need to separate healthcare from employment; and
Whereas, we believe that healthcare is a basic human right, not a luxury; and
Whereas, our current, for-profit health care system is inherently racist and discriminatory; and
Whereas, the majority of Americans now believe that a universal, single-payer, Medicare-For-All system is the best way to achieve equitable, affordable and accessible healthcare for all Americans; and
Whereas, the Democratic Party and their Platform Committee process has failed, to date, to incorporate a clear and progressive platform plank for Medicare-For-All for adoption by the 2020 National Convention; therefore
Be it resolved that we, the undersigned delegates to the Democratic National Convention, pledge to vote against any 2020 Platform that does not include a universal, single-payer, Medicare-For-All, platform plank.
See also:
Holly Otterbein. "Sanders delegates mount convention rebellion over 'Medicare for All.'" Politico, July 27, 2020.
Morgan Phillips. "Sanders delegates signing petition to vote against Dem platform that doesn't include 'Medicare-for-all'" FOX News, July 28, 2020.
Whereas, this Country is currently in the throes of a catastrophic public health crisis; and
Whereas, this emergency has led to massive job losses due to the Country’s response to that crisis; and
Whereas, millions of Americans have lost their healthcare insurance because of those job losses at a time when healthcare is needed most; and
Whereas, this crisis has highlighted the need to separate healthcare from employment; and
Whereas, we believe that healthcare is a basic human right, not a luxury; and
Whereas, our current, for-profit health care system is inherently racist and discriminatory; and
Whereas, the majority of Americans now believe that a universal, single-payer, Medicare-For-All system is the best way to achieve equitable, affordable and accessible healthcare for all Americans; and
Whereas, the Democratic Party and their Platform Committee process has failed, to date, to incorporate a clear and progressive platform plank for Medicare-For-All for adoption by the 2020 National Convention; therefore
Be it resolved that we, the undersigned delegates to the Democratic National Convention, pledge to vote against any 2020 Platform that does not include a universal, single-payer, Medicare-For-All, platform plank.
RootsAction.org
July 28, 2020
More Than 700 Delegates Have Now
Signed Pledge Committing to Vote Against
Democratic Platform Lacking Medicare for
All
July 28, 2020
More Than 700 Delegates Have Now
Signed Pledge Committing to Vote Against
Democratic Platform Lacking Medicare for
All
See also:
Holly Otterbein. "Sanders delegates mount convention rebellion over 'Medicare for All.'" Politico, July 27, 2020.
Morgan Phillips. "Sanders delegates signing petition to vote against Dem platform that doesn't include 'Medicare-for-all'" FOX News, July 28, 2020.