Today we celebrate a win.
I want to thank every DSAer who has called their rep, joined a barnstorm, or participated in any way in our campaign to pressure the House of Representatives to cosponsor Medicare for All. Together we have made enormous gains in a short amount of time.
Today representative Pramila Jayapal introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2019, with over 100 cosponsors. The Medicare for All Act of 2019 is a gold standard for single-payer legislation. Alongside Senator Sanders’ Senate bill, it is the only legislation to meet DSA’s five principles for a truly democratic socialist single-payer system.
This is a milestone in the fight for universal healthcare and an equitable society, where working people make the decisions that determine our destiny. Now our task is to build a mass organization of working people that will not give up until we win.
Our pressure campaign doesn’t stop here. Next comes a floor fight in the House. We are going to continue working alongside partners like the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer, National Nurses United, Healthcare NOW and others, to make Medicare for All a litmus test for all candidates in 2020.
The ruling class has woken up to the popularity of Medicare for All. Insurance and drug companies are already pouring money into ads intended to distort our message. Donald Trump is positioning his reelection bid as a defense against socialism, namely our program. And we face a deluge of competing, watered-down legislation from bought-and-sold establishment Democrats.
During this critical time, we will be continuing our Nothing Less! tour in the Northeast with Sanders Institute Fellow Michael Lighty. We’ll be stopping at town halls organized by DSA chapters and designed to give you the tools you need to be a strong advocate for single-payer healthcare in your workplace and your community. Save the date!
In solidarity,
Maria Svart
DSA National Director
