Fight for Single Payer Health Care

This coming week is by far the largest single payer push yet in the nation's capital as the Senate committee chairs prepare to draft health care reform legislation by May 22 and in the House by the end of May. PDA national director Tim Carpenter and PDA advisory board Chair Mimi Kennedy and many other PDA activists will be in town, as well as activists from Healthcare NOW! , Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), several unions, and about 500 nurses from the California Nurses Association (CNA), and other groups. Given your proximity to DC, we need to turn out in good numbers. Please join us for the following events and promote HR 676. We will have plenty of leaflets to distribute.

May 12 - 10:00 AM - Room 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building - Senate Finance Committee - roundtable on Financing Health Care Reform. As a result of the protest at the last Committee meeting, the resulting publicity, and follow-up phone calls, letters and e-mails, the Committee is considering adding a single payer advocate - Marcia Angell - to the panel, although that is not at all certain yet. Keep up the pressure on Senator Max Baucus and the Committee so that this happens. Those interested in attending should arrive early as seats will be limited.

May 12 - 7:00 PM - Union Station - California Nurses Association (CNA) Congressional Reception.

May 13 - 9:00 AM - Strategy session/lobbying training with CNA- Washington Court Hotel - 525 New Jersey Ave, NW, Washington, DC

May 13 - 11:00 AM - March from hotel to rally site with CNA.

May 13 - noon to 2 PM - Rally at Upper Senate Park with CNA - near Senate Office Buildings - confirmed speakers include Sen. Bernie Sanders, Cong. John Conyers and Eric Massa, Mimi Kennedy, Dr. Margaret Flowers, Mike Farrell from MASH, John Sweeney, among others.

May 13 - 2-6 PM - Lobbying on Capitol Hill with CNA.
If interested please let Conor know of your plans.

All Out Effort: Put Single-payer Healthcare “on the Table”

It's National Nurses Week, and we’re joining the California Nurses Association in Washington, D.C. to promote single-payer healthcare. We need your help!

Please make 2 calls TUESDAY to get single-payer experts into the Senate Finance Committee Roundtable discussion!

This Tuesday, May 12, the Senate Finance Subcommittee is holding its final roundtable on healthcare reform. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee has issued a request to include Roseann Demoro, Executive Director of CNA/NNOC and longtime leader in the single-payer movement. PNHP has formally submitted the names of two outstanding physicians, Drs. Marcia Angell and Steffie Woolhandler, to testify as expert witnesses.
 
Please call Sen. Baucus' office in Washington at 202-224-2651, or fax him at (202) 224-9412, and urge him to extend the invitations.

Call your Senator, too!
 
Members of Single-Payer New York met with Sen. Charles Schumer (NY), Senate Finance Committee member, on Friday evening.  He agreed to ask Chairman Baucus to include a single-payer expert--if we can get another Senator on the committee to join him.
 
Please call and ask your Senator to join Sen. Schumer in asking Chairman Baucus to include a single-payer expert in Tuesday's hearing.

In Michigan, call Sen. Stabenow at 202-224-4822

In Massachusetts, call Sen. Kerry at (202) 224-2742

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