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August 9, 2008--Negotiated by Rep. John Conyers and Donna Smith, national co-chairs of the PDA Healthcare Not Warfare campaign, a compromise was reached to insert an amendment to the draft health care plank of the 2008 Democratic Party Platform.
Bob Remer of Chicago offered the five-point statement, drafted by Norman Solomon, another of the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign co-chairs, and others. It read:
Our nation should enact universal health care that will:
* Guarantee accessible health care for all.
* Create a single standard of high quality, comprehensive, and preventive health care for all.
* Allow freedom of choice of physician, hospital, and other health careproviders.
* Eliminate financial barriers that prevent families and individuals fromobtaining the medically necessary care they need.
* Allow physicians, nurses and other licensed health care providers to makehealth care decisions based on what is best for the health of the patient.
The language, amendment #33 was combined with language in amendment #107, to read "guaranteed health care" for every American (instead of universal coverage) AND the language, "everybody in and no one left out" added to later platform language about legislative efforts to "cover every American." Other details are to be left to the legislative process.
Conyers, the original sponsor of HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act, called the language change huge, steps in the right direction, and movement by the party in the right way.
PDA and its single payer allies have much work to do under President Obama and a new Congress--four of the five points were omitted. The language, which passed unanimously, reveals growing support for single payer health care among party members. PDA national director Tim Carpenter commented, “We were happy to discover the level of support among committee members for guaranteed health care and are pleased that a compromise was reached, but we won't be satisfied until HR 676 is passed by Congress.” Sign the Healthcare NOT Warfare petition, here.
Conyers and Smith were in Pittsburgh for a press conference with Chuck Pennachio, Executive Director, Healthcare for All Pennsylvania; State Senator Jim Ferlo (D), 38th District, PA; Ray Stever, New Jersey State Industrial Union Council and Healthcare-NOW Board Steering Committee member; and other leading single payer health care advocates to call for amendments to the platform language contained in the party platform. The press conference was held at the David Lawrence Convention Center, the site of the committee meetings.
This article will be updated as facts become available.
Listen to Air America, Tuesday night at 9:00 PM EDT, to hear first-hand accounts of the press conference and meeting from Donna Smith and Chuck Pennachio. The Nation's John Nichols will be the guest in the second hour.
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