AFGE National Convention Endorses HR 676

Reno, Nevada. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the twenty-second international union to endorse HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

On August 27th the 38th AFGE National Convention passed Resolution #4003, "Endorsing Universal Health Care H.R. 676." The resolution was submitted by Local 2157 which represents workers at the Portland, Oregon, Veterans Administration Medical Center. AFGE represents 600,000 federal and District of Columbia workers in a wide variety of agencies, including Social Security, the Veterans Administration, and the Bureau of Prisons.

Betsy Zucker, RN, FNP, and a convention delegate from Local 2157, said after the vote:

"AFGE members from around the country overwhelmingly endorsed H.R. 676, Single Payer Health Care, on August 27. Federal workers understand that Medicare-for-All will save money, provide health care to all, and start addressing health care as a human right, not a commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. AFGE supports health care for people, not for profits!"

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HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 86 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer bill in the Senate.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 561 union organizations in 49 states including
130 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org
09/02/09