Victorious On Platform, Progressive Dems Push Single-Payer Bill

Having won their fight to enshrine a "guaranteed health care for all" statement in the Democratic Party platform, a group of progressive Democrats are now pushing a bill in Congress to move to a single-payer health system.

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and other Democratic groups mounted a campaign to get delegates to the upcoming Democratic National Convention to include the guarantee for health care in the draft platform at a platform meeting last week in Pittsburgh.

Language inserted into the platform on healthcare was a "compromise," according to PDA.

PDA says that Bob Remer of Chicago offered a five-point statement, drafted by Norman Solomon, a Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign co-chair, and others.

It reads:

Our nation should enact universal health care that will:

* Guarantee accessible health care for all.
* Create a single standard of high quality, comprehensive, and preventive health care for all.
* Allow freedom of choice of physician, hospital, and other health careproviders.
* Eliminate financial barriers that prevent families and individuals fromobtaining the medically necessary care they need.
* Allow physicians, nurses and other licensed health care providers to makehealth care decisions based on what is best for the health of the patient.

"Important as that victory was, it's just a step toward answering the key question: 'How can we really implement guaranteed health care for all?' The only realistic answer, a system of publicly funded, privately delivered health care, also known as 'single payer,' exists in legislative form: Rep. John Conyers' bill H.R. 676, which has 90 co-sponsors in the House," PDA says in an email to supporters signed by Solomon.

Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, is a longtime and powerful lawmaker and serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

The single-payer health approach is controversial -- rejected by conservatives. That approach was set aside by President Bill Clinton in his unsuccessful health-care reform effort in 1994.

"So, while continuing to encourage Democratic National Convention delegates to become signers of the Guaranteed Health Care for All statement, today PDA is starting a renewed push for the Healthcare NOT Warfare petition--promoting H.R. 676 and serving as an important tool to organize on behalf of single payer nationwide," the PDA email says. "Please sign the petition, and urge all your friends, family and associates to sign as well."

An ABC/Washington Post poll in June asked 1,125 respondents the question, "Which of these do you think is more important: providing health care coverage for all Americans, even if it means raising taxes, OR, holding down taxes, even if it means some Americans do not have health care coverage?"

Some 66 percent said "Coverage for all," but that percentage is down from 79 percent registered in a poll taken in 2003.

With the California Nurses Association / National Nurses Organizing Committee, PDA will be hosting a "Medicare for All" reception Tuesday night, Aug. 26, in support of H.R. 676, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the email says.

"When I'm on the floor of the convention as an elected [Barack] Obama delegate, I'll be wearing a 'Healthcare NOT Warfare' sticker next to a 'Yes We Can!' button." says Solomon's email. "Bringing about single-payer health care and overcoming the warfare state won't be easy. Just imperative."

Watch more breaking news now on our video feed:



Bookmark http://onthehillblog.blogspot.com/ and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.