August, 26 2009, 11:57am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Lisa Bennett, 202-628-8669, ext. 123; cell 202-641-1906
In Memoriam: NOW Mourns Loss of Women's Rights Champion Senator Ted Kennedy
WASHINGTON
The National Organization for Women is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, the revered Democrat from Massachusetts. A dedicated public servant, Ted Kennedy was a champion of civil rights, women's equality, voting rights, economic justice, disability rights, reproductive freedom and so much more.
"We lost a true legislative hero in Ted Kennedy -- a defender of women, children and all those who are discriminated against and underserved in this country," said NOW President Terry O'Neill. "We have Kennedy to thank for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. He was a great leader in the fight for health care reform, and I only hope that we can honor him by passing real reform designed to benefit the people -- not insurance CEOs."
Kennedy was committed to creating a level playing field for all, especially those who traditionally have been denied access to the American dream. He will be an extremely hard act to follow.
"NOW calls on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and state officials to follow Kennedy's wishes and take the necessary action to allow for the senator's seat to be filled until a special election can take place," said O'Neill. "We urge that this replacement be a strong supporter of the broad range of social justice issues that Kennedy advocated for throughout the last half century."
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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Sanders Says 'Political Movement,' Not Murder, Is the Path to Medicare for All
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Addressing the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and conversations it has sparked about the country's for-profit system, longtime Medicare for All advocate Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday condemned the murder and stressed that getting to universal coverage will require a movement challenging corporate money in politics.
"Look, when we talk about the healthcare crisis, in my view, and I think the view of a majority of Americans, the current system is broken, it is dysfunctional, it is cruel, and it is wildly inefficient—far too expensive," said Sanders (I-Vt.), whose position is backed up by various polls.
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"Killing people is not the way we're going to reform our healthcare system," Sanders added. "The way we're going to reform our healthcare system is having people come together and understanding that it is the right of every American to be able to walk into a doctor's office when they need to and not have to take out their wallet."
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In addition to highlighting Sanders' interview on social media, Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) pointed out to Business Insider on Wednesday that "you've got thousands of people that are sharing their stories of frustration" in the wake of Thompson's death.
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Two other Medicare for All advocates, Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also made clear to Business Insider that they oppose Thompson's murder but understand some of the responses to it.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—a co-sponsor of Sanders' Medicare for All Act—similarly toldHuffPost in a Tuesday interview, "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system."
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According to the FTC:
Under the Robinson-Patman Act, it is generally illegal for sellers to engage in price discrimination that harms competition by charging higher prices to disfavored retailers that purchase similar goods. The FTC's case filed today seeks to ensure that businesses of all sizes compete on a level playing field with equivalent access to discounts and rebates, which means increased consumer choice and the ability to pass on lower prices to consumers shopping across independent retailers.
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