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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Ken Zinn, 240-235-2008

Nurses Welcome Formation of House Medicare for All Caucus Amidst Growing Support for Single Payer

Capitol Hill Press Conference ThursdayJuly 19

WASHINGTON

National Nurses United is enthusiastically welcoming the inaugural formation to be announced Thursday of a House Medicare for All Caucus, the latest sign of growing support for guaranteed healthcare for all through an improved and expanded Medicare for all, single payer system.

Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) will join nurses and other health and community activists in a Thursday press conference announcing the creation of the Caucus, which will promote passage of HR 676, a Medicare for all bill, that now has 122 House co-sponsors, nearly two-thirds of all House Democrats. Keith Ellison (D-MN) is lead sponsor of HR 676 and will co-chair the Caucus with Representatives Jayapal and Dingell.

What: Congress members, Activists Announce Formation of House Medicare for All Caucus

When: Thursday, July 19, 10 a.m.

Where: House Triangle, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

Please note the event will stream live here.

Media interested in attending the press conference should RSVP to Vedant Patel: vedant.patel@mail.house.gov

"Every day more Americans are rallying behind the need for fundamental reform of our flawed and fragmented healthcare system that denies care to millions of our neighbors and family members," said NNU Co-President Deborah Burger, RN.

"With polls showing increasing support for Medicare for all, and new signs every day of a system that is out of control, the formation of this Congressional caucus could not be more timely," Burger said. "Nurses see patients every day who are harmed by a system in crisis, and we know that the solution is within our reach."

A March Kaiser Family Foundation survey found nearly 60 percent support for Medicare for all. Health care has become a leading issue in election races across the country heading into November as growing number of candidates for the House, Senate, governor's races and state legislative states embrace Medicare for all.

And, press reports nearly every day chronicle horror stories of people forgoing needed medical care due to skyrocketing out of pocket costs. A recent Gallup poll found some six in 10 adults under Medicare age worried about being able to pay medical costs in the event of a serious illness or accident.

National Nurses United, with close to 185,000 members in every state, is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in US history.

(240) 235-2000