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Portland City Council endorses single payer bill

5 October 2009 1,797 views 176 Comments

Portland, OR has passed a very progressive bill supporting single-payer, and it calls for passage of HR676 – the National Health Care Act (Single-payer) sponsored by Representative John Conyers. Pressure from more and more city councils will make a big difference.

Here is the text of the resolution:

(from Amanda Fritz’s blog, Portland City Commissioner)

RESOLUTION No. Urge Congress to enact the United States National Health Care Act sponsored by Representative John Conyers. (Resolution)
WHEREAS, all people deserve equal access to quality health care; and

WHEREAS, there is a growing crisis in health care in the United States of America, manifested in rising health care costs, increased premiums, out-of-pocket spending, and decreased international business competitiveness; and

WHEREAS, approximately one third of Oregonians lacked health insurance at some time in 2007-2008; and

WHEREAS, those insured now often experience burdensome medical debt; and

WHEREAS, half of all personal bankruptcies are due to illnesses or medical bills; and

WHEREAS, the rising costs of insuring city employees can best be met not by limiting their benefits or terminating their employment, but by expanding their health care benefits under a national, publicly-funded health care program; and

WHEREAS, the complex bureaucracy arising from our fragmented, for-profit, multi-payer system of health care financing consumes approximately 30 percent of the United States health care spending while Medicare has a 3 percent overhead; and

WHEREAS, United States Representative John Conyers introduced H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act, in the United States House of Representatives for the 111th Congress; and

WHEREAS, this Act would provide a universal, comprehensive, single-payer system of high quality national health care;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Portland:

1. Respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact the United States National Health Care Act sponsored by Representative John Conyers.

2. Directs the City Attorney to transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States and to members of the Oregon congressional delegation accompanied by letters urging them to work to adopt and implement the United States National Health Care Act (Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) as defined in H.R. 676 to provide for comprehensive health care coverage for all United States residents.

3. Affirms that the Council of the City of Portland will use the City’s website, public meetings, news releases, and other forms of communication to encourage Portland residents to participate actively in the democratic process by informing their elected officials of their wishes and expectations regarding H.R. 676 and other matters of public concern.

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