December, 01 2008, 09:28am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Laura Bonham, PDA Communications Coordinator
Laura@pdamerica.org, (435) 336-2123
Tim Carpenter, PDA Executive Director
Tim@pdamerica.org, (413)-320-2015
PDA Working for Early Passage of Guaranteed Healthcare in New Congress
WASHINGTON
Progressive Democrats of America is moving on several fronts to ensure quick passage of guaranteed healthcare legislation by the new Congress that will convene in January.
Continuing the "inside/outside" strategy that has always been its hallmark, PDA is working with congressional Democrats and with national healthcare groups and activists to galvanize broad support for the United States National Health Insurance Act sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). Known as H.R. 676 in the last Congress, the legislation will be introduced again by Conyers at the beginning of the new Congress.
Tomorrow, Dec. 2, PDA Executive Director Tim Carpenter will attend the third meeting since the election convened by Conyers in Washington to bring together key legislators and activists around the legislation.
From there, Carpenter will head to North Carolina for a Progressive Summit of that state's progressive Democrats and activists, where he will deliver a keynote address on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, also on Dec. 6, PDA board member and Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign co-chair Norman Solomon will be the keynote speaker at Healthcare for All Pennsylvania's "Call to Action - Single Payer" convention in Harrisburg.
"We are very encouraged that the momentum continues to build from our successful effort to include a commitment to guaranteed healthcare for all in the Democratic Party platform in Denver, through the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign and the November election, to the upcoming new Congress and Obama administration," said Carpenter. "We consider that we're helping with the president-elect's transition by continuing to build a broad and powerful coalition around guaranteed healthcare for all."
In it's efforts, PDA is working closely with groups such as Physicians for a National Health Plan, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, Healthcare-NOW!, the AFL-CIO, All Unions Committee for Single-Payer and the American Medical Students Association.
Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and U.S. politics by working inside and outside of the party by working to elect empowered progressives and by building the progressive movement in solidarity with with peace, justice, civil rights, environmental, and other reform efforts. For more information about PDA, please see PDAmerica.org.
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[image or embed]
— Prem Thakker ツ ( @premthakker.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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