Senator Bernie Saunders, of Vermont,  has introduced Senate Amendment 2837. This is a federally funded program which is  run by the states and provides Medicare for all.

December 3, 2009.  Challenging head-on the powerful private insurance and pharmaceutical industries, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced an amendment to the Senate health reform bill Wednesday that would replace the bulk of the Senate bill’s language with provisions establishing a single-payer, Medicare-for-All program.

Joining with Sanders, I-Vt., in co-sponsoring the measure, known as Senate Amendment 2837, were Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Roland Burris, D-Ill. Other senators, including Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, have previously declared their support for single-payer health reform. The vote on the measure could take place in the next few days.

So this is where we go from here: make a call, again, to our senators and let them know that you support this amendment.  Our very way of life is on the line, here.  Until health care access and costs are under control, our economy will continue to spiral downward.  Jobs will continue to be lost to downsizing and outsourcing.  When people are worried about bankruptcy and how to put food on the table their thoughts are not with global climate change.

Meaningful health care reform is the cornerstone for fixing all of our other major problems.  Make the call:

Senator Schumer:

• Rochester office 263-5866
• DC office 202-224-6542

Senator Gillibrand:

• Rochester office 263-6250
• DC office 202-224-4451

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1. Get on the Bus for Health Care Reform
2. Why Obama’s plan for health-care reform won’t work
3. Bernie Sanders with George Stephanopoulos, Sunday morning
4. Where did health care reform go?
5. 100 years of Health Care Reform efforts in 8 minutes