Urging Federal & State Reps – Support Single Payer

Resolution Urging Federal and State Representatives and Senators of the 21st  Legislative District Democrats to Support Single-Payer Healthcare

WHEREAS, the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) does not provide health coverage for millions of U.S. residents; and

WHEREAS, single-payer health care bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate of Washington state and did not come out of committee; and

WHEREAS, there is an active bill in the United States House of Representatives, HR 676, Expanded & Improved Medicare for All, that would provide health coverage for all U.S. residents at considerably lower cost; and

WHEREAS, in order to assure the provision of comprehensive health care as a human right, Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced U.S. Senate bill S. 1804, “The Medicare-for-All Act of 2017,” which would establish a universal single-payer program for improved and expanded health care for all residents of the United States; and

WHEREAS, recent public opinion polls find support for such a plan to be well above 50% among all voters (and 81% among Democrats); and

WHEREAS, the public outcry against the AHCA offers a great opportunity to educate the public about a superior solution to the need to move on beyond the ACA to full universal health coverage in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the Republicans’ recently enacted “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” contains a non-germane provision undermining the continued effectiveness of the ACA by repealing the “individual mandate” that had brought widespread nationwide enrollment in health insurance;

WHEREAS, the platform of the Washington State Democrats calls for “An affordable universal single-payer system to provide the most equitable and effective health care, serving both individual and public health needs…”; and

WHEREAS, sixteen Democratic Senators immediately signed on as co-sponsors of S. 1804, but neither of our State’s two United States Senators has yet done so; and

WHEREAS, our State Democratic platform states, upfront and unequivocally: “In order to restore progressive democracy, we expect elected Democrats to be accountable and implement the principles of this platform, using all available legal and parliamentary procedures”;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the 21st Legislative District Democrats ask our state Representatives Strom Peterson and Lillian Ortiz-Self, and state Senator Marko Liias, to support universal single-payer health care initiative I-1600 in Washington; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that we urge Representative Rick Larsen (WA-2) to vocally support and Co-Sponsor HR 676, Expanded & Improved Medicare for All; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: that we urge Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell to vocally support and Co-Sponsor S. 1804, The Medicare-for-All Act of 2017; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: that the executive board, Precinct Committee Officers, and general membership of the 21st Legislative District Democrats request above mentioned representatives respond upon receipt of this resolution.

Adopted – 3/28/2018