In Face of TrumpCare 'Abomination,' New Jersey Latest State to Join Single Payer Push
'TrumpCare is not the way forward.'—New Jersey State Assemblyman John Wisniewski
If the building momentum for a single-payer or Medicare-for-All healthcare system wasn't already clear, developments this week should more than make up for that.
Declaring that "healthcare is a fundamental human right" and TrumpCare is "an abomination," Democratic New Jersey State Assemblyman John Wisniewski on Thursday announced draft legislation to provide universal coverage for the state's residents.
"It is unconscionable that in this day and age, families must go without health insurance coverage because of its cost," Wisniewski, a gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement announcing the Healthy New Jersey Act. "We must find a way to eliminate the profit motive from our healthcare decisions and provide services to everyone regardless of their income."
"TrumpCare is not the way forward," he stated, adding: "The current system prioritizes dollars over lives."
"The only way to truly solve the problem of providing affordable healthcare is creating a single-payer system," Wisniewski said.
The draft legislation was unveiled to get comments from experts and stakeholders and will be introduced in the next legislative session, the statement explains.
The New Jersey chapter of Our Revolution, which endorsed Wisniewski's gubernatorial bid this week, said on Twitter that it applauded the legislation, as "It's long past time we have Single Payer!"
The same day as Wisniewski unveiled his legislation, a single-payer healthcare bill in California, which supporters hope can "send a message" and "be a catalyst for the nation," advanced.
The state Senate Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance it to a vote in the full Senate by the end of next week.
The California Nurses Association praised the development, writing on its Facebook page: "Great news --> the healthcare revolution continues!"
Looking at the news from California as well as the New York's State Assembly's passage this month of a single-payer healthcare bill, one observer described them as "victories [that] constitute a positive sign that state-based campaigns for universal healthcare ramping up across the country."
There are positive signs at the national level as well.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). declared Wednesday: "I've never seen more energy behind this issue of Medicare for All."
The Michigan Democrat reintroduced in January the Improved Medicare for All Act, HR 676, and as of Tuesday, it reached 111 co-sponsors--the most ever--including the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.).
"As a Democrat I believe that healthcare of course is a right, not a privilege. I believe [in] universal healthcare, for every American--not just a plan or a contract, but the ability to see a doctor and get treatment whenever they need it. We will never get universal care building on a foundation of private, for-profit insurance," Conyers said.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
If the building momentum for a single-payer or Medicare-for-All healthcare system wasn't already clear, developments this week should more than make up for that.
Declaring that "healthcare is a fundamental human right" and TrumpCare is "an abomination," Democratic New Jersey State Assemblyman John Wisniewski on Thursday announced draft legislation to provide universal coverage for the state's residents.
"It is unconscionable that in this day and age, families must go without health insurance coverage because of its cost," Wisniewski, a gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement announcing the Healthy New Jersey Act. "We must find a way to eliminate the profit motive from our healthcare decisions and provide services to everyone regardless of their income."
"TrumpCare is not the way forward," he stated, adding: "The current system prioritizes dollars over lives."
"The only way to truly solve the problem of providing affordable healthcare is creating a single-payer system," Wisniewski said.
The draft legislation was unveiled to get comments from experts and stakeholders and will be introduced in the next legislative session, the statement explains.
The New Jersey chapter of Our Revolution, which endorsed Wisniewski's gubernatorial bid this week, said on Twitter that it applauded the legislation, as "It's long past time we have Single Payer!"
The same day as Wisniewski unveiled his legislation, a single-payer healthcare bill in California, which supporters hope can "send a message" and "be a catalyst for the nation," advanced.
The state Senate Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance it to a vote in the full Senate by the end of next week.
The California Nurses Association praised the development, writing on its Facebook page: "Great news --> the healthcare revolution continues!"
Looking at the news from California as well as the New York's State Assembly's passage this month of a single-payer healthcare bill, one observer described them as "victories [that] constitute a positive sign that state-based campaigns for universal healthcare ramping up across the country."
There are positive signs at the national level as well.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). declared Wednesday: "I've never seen more energy behind this issue of Medicare for All."
The Michigan Democrat reintroduced in January the Improved Medicare for All Act, HR 676, and as of Tuesday, it reached 111 co-sponsors--the most ever--including the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.).
"As a Democrat I believe that healthcare of course is a right, not a privilege. I believe [in] universal healthcare, for every American--not just a plan or a contract, but the ability to see a doctor and get treatment whenever they need it. We will never get universal care building on a foundation of private, for-profit insurance," Conyers said.
If the building momentum for a single-payer or Medicare-for-All healthcare system wasn't already clear, developments this week should more than make up for that.
Declaring that "healthcare is a fundamental human right" and TrumpCare is "an abomination," Democratic New Jersey State Assemblyman John Wisniewski on Thursday announced draft legislation to provide universal coverage for the state's residents.
"It is unconscionable that in this day and age, families must go without health insurance coverage because of its cost," Wisniewski, a gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement announcing the Healthy New Jersey Act. "We must find a way to eliminate the profit motive from our healthcare decisions and provide services to everyone regardless of their income."
"TrumpCare is not the way forward," he stated, adding: "The current system prioritizes dollars over lives."
"The only way to truly solve the problem of providing affordable healthcare is creating a single-payer system," Wisniewski said.
The draft legislation was unveiled to get comments from experts and stakeholders and will be introduced in the next legislative session, the statement explains.
The New Jersey chapter of Our Revolution, which endorsed Wisniewski's gubernatorial bid this week, said on Twitter that it applauded the legislation, as "It's long past time we have Single Payer!"
The same day as Wisniewski unveiled his legislation, a single-payer healthcare bill in California, which supporters hope can "send a message" and "be a catalyst for the nation," advanced.
The state Senate Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance it to a vote in the full Senate by the end of next week.
The California Nurses Association praised the development, writing on its Facebook page: "Great news --> the healthcare revolution continues!"
Looking at the news from California as well as the New York's State Assembly's passage this month of a single-payer healthcare bill, one observer described them as "victories [that] constitute a positive sign that state-based campaigns for universal healthcare ramping up across the country."
There are positive signs at the national level as well.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.). declared Wednesday: "I've never seen more energy behind this issue of Medicare for All."
The Michigan Democrat reintroduced in January the Improved Medicare for All Act, HR 676, and as of Tuesday, it reached 111 co-sponsors--the most ever--including the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.).
"As a Democrat I believe that healthcare of course is a right, not a privilege. I believe [in] universal healthcare, for every American--not just a plan or a contract, but the ability to see a doctor and get treatment whenever they need it. We will never get universal care building on a foundation of private, for-profit insurance," Conyers said.