"One of the reasons that I am a strong proponent of a single-payer, Medicare-for-all proposal is that it is much less complicated than what we are going to end up with in Congress. A single-payer approach saves hundreds of billions of dollars a year because you don't end up with thousands of different health insurance programs appealing to all different kinds of people and costing a fortune to administer. I am going to continue the fight for single-payer. I am cautiously optimistic that we may end up with legislation that will allow states to go forward with single-payer if they want to."

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent - Vermont)


There are 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. 76 of those members support Single Payer HR 676.

There are 100 members of the U.S. Senate. 1 of those members support Single Payer S 703.

There are 90 members of the Oregon legislature. None, that's zero, support Single Payer.

There are 305 million Americans. ONLY these 625 men and women have the power to reform health care policy in Oregon and America.

The U.S. Congress will NOT succeed in passing a Single Payer - Medicare For All health care bill.

The U.S. Congress will possibly but not probably pass a health care reform bill that includes the nose-of-the-pseudo-single-payer-camel-under-the-tent public option that even a strong version, which is highly unlikely, would be a far, far distant second-rate solution to Oregon's/America's moral and economic health care crisis. 

Declaring War And Then Not Showing Up For Battle Is A Losing Strategy

In the near future all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives will have to vote on Single Payer HR 676 as an amendment to HR 3200. It will be a moment of truth for them and the organizations listed below.

Passing a resolution in support of Single Payer, as all of these groups have done, is a declaration of WAR against the despised, failed, for-profit, private health insurance industry. The object of Single Payer resolutions is to "KILL" that is put the private health insurance industry OUT OF BUSINESS. The definition of war involves killing your enemy.

It means demonstrating in the streets LOUDLY and often.

It means ONLY endorsing and supporting candidates for state and congressional offices that will fight for Single Payer.

It means fighting to repeal the 1% health insurance tax imposed on those Oregonians still able to afford health insurance.

It means fighting to rescind the monstrously complex health care bill passed in the last legislature and introduce a start from scratch health care reform effort that includes all those Single Payer supporters who have been shut down and shut out of the previous debate.

The following groups are on the public record as supporting a Single Payer Solution to America's/Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis. They do not necessarily share the other views expressed in this message:

AFL-CIO

AFSCME District Council 75

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757

American Federation of Government Employees Local 2157

American Federation of Teachers Local 5017

City of Portland

Democratic Party of Lane County

Freedom Socialist Party

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

Lane County Commission

Mad As Hell Doctors

Multnomah County Commission

Oregon Academy of Family Physicians

Oregon Education Association

Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals

Oregon Nurses Association

Oregon Teamsters Local 206

Pacific Green Party of Oregon

Painters Local 10

State Council of Machinists (IAM)


All of these groups have been invited to demonstrate in front of congressional offices a few days before the Single Payer HR 676 floor vote. NO SHOWS LOSE THEIR SINGLE PAYER CREDIBILITY.

In a health care war where the medical-industrial complex of corporations and their employees in the congress and the Oregon legislature who are responsible for the deaths of 45,000 Americans who die every year for lack of health insurance it is necessary to fight back or lose by default.

We Cannot Win The WAR For Single Payer Without A Fight

Politics is a contact sport. It is often a blood sport. If you are not prepared to bleed and draw blood then you must get off the field.

Richard Ellmyer