Because #Obamacare Alone Isn’t Enough.
#MedicareForAll
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Showing posts with label Bernie Sanders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bernie Sanders. Show all posts
Thursday, September 21, 2017
CONYERS: CBC Foundation Legislative Conference On Medicare For All
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Wednesday, September 13, 2017
CONYERS Applauds Bernie Sanders' Senate Introduction Of Medicare For All Legislation
Conyers Adds 118th Cosponsor to House Legislation Today
Washington, D.C. – Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) today released the following statement on the Senate introduction of Medicare for All legislation:
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| Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jr. |
“I’ve been introducing H.R. 676, The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act since 2003. Under my bill, instead of a complicated, expensive network of exchanges and employer-sponsored plans and networks administered by for-profit insurance companies that some people can afford and many others can’t, we would have one health insurance plan, one health insurer and one network available to every single American. In other words, we would finally have guaranteed, universal healthcare. I’m proud that we currently have 118 House Democrats who cosponsored the legislation – a majority of the Democratic Caucus.
“I applaud Senator Bernie Sanders’ introduction of the Senate companion to my Medicare for All bill and all of the momentum he has garnered in support of a universal single-payer healthcare system.
“Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege for those who can afford it. It deserves to be an essential service provided by the government, no different than fire departments, public schools, and military protection.
“Poll after poll shows that Americans agree that we have a collective obligation to guarantee healthcare coverage to everyone through a government financed healthcare system. It’s time for a real debate, including hearings, independent analysis, and input from doctors, patients, and hospitals.
“As I’ve said many times before, it took a nationwide movement to achieve civil rights. I introduced legislation to make Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday a federal holiday and it took nearly two decades for it to become a reality. In that same vein, we are creating a movement to make Medicare for All the law of the land.”
Background: In January 2017, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. reintroduced H.R. 676, “The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act.” H.R. 676 would expand and improve the highly popular Medicare program and provide universal access to care to all Americans. Rep. Conyers has introduced H.R.676 every year since 2003.I've introduced #HR676, Expanded & Improved #MedicareForAll Act since 2003 and it's now a bicameral effort! pic.twitter.com/mUCHTgH7El— John Conyers, Jr. (@RepJohnConyers) September 13, 2017
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
CONYERS & SANDERS Town Hall In Detroit On Jobs, Health Care & The Future
Rep. Conyers invited U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to join in on the discussion. Topics included healthcare, creating good paying jobs, raising wages and building an economy that gives every American the tools to succeed in the 21st century.
Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: CONYERS To Host Town Hall Meeting On Jobs & Health Care With Bernie Sanders 8-22-2017 http://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2017/08/conyers-to-host-town-hall-meeting-on.html#ixzz4qXHVohmZ
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| John Conyers |
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| Bernie Sanders |
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| Michigan Senator Coleman Young, III |
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| Michigan Democratic Party Chair, Brandon Dillion |
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Thursday, August 10, 2017
CONYERS To Host Town Hall Meeting On Jobs & Health Care With Bernie Sanders 8-22-2017
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| Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jr. & 2017 Democratic Presidential Candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders |
Rep. Conyers has invited U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to join in on the discussion. Topics will include healthcare, creating good paying jobs, raising wages and building an economy that gives every American the tools to succeed in the 21st century. This event is open to the public.
Date: August 22, 2017
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Fellowship Chapel Church
7707 W. Outer Drive
Detroit, MI
RSVP: Media interested in attending should RSVP to Monique Mansfield atMonique.Mansfield@mail.house.
Background: In January, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. reintroduced H.R. 676, “The Expanded And Improved Medicare For All Act.” H.R. 676 would expand and improve the highly popular Medicare program and provide universal access to care to all Americans. Rep. Conyers has introduced H.R.676 every year since 2003. Sen. Sanders has announced he will be introducing a similar version of the legislation.
Conyers and Sanders also just introduced companion youth jobs bills in the House and Senate to tackle unemployment. According to some estimates, Detroit has one of the highest youth unemployment rates -- 30 percent -- amongst the 25 largest U.S. metro areas.
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Sunday, July 30, 2017
50 Years Ago, LBJ Signs Medicare & Medicaid Into Law
50 years ago, President Johnson signed into law, Medicare & Medicaid to provide health care to old, the young, the sick and the veterans who have served this nation.
50 years later, our elected officials want to "unsign" the health care law.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill and dedicated it to Harry S. Truman, the former president who "planted the seeds of compassion".
50 years later, our elected officials want to "unsign" the health care law.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill and dedicated it to Harry S. Truman, the former president who "planted the seeds of compassion".
No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so that they might enjoy dignity in their later years. No longer will young families see their own incomes, and their own hopes, eaten away simply because they are carrying out their deep moral obligations to their parents, and to their uncles, and their aunts.
And no longer will this Nation refuse the hand of justice to those who have given a lifetime of service and wisdom and labor to the progress of this progressive country.
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Saturday, July 22, 2017
CONYERS & SANDERS Announces Introduction Of The Employ Young Americans Now Act
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) held a roundtable discussion at a Sasha Bruce Youthwork center and announced the introduction of the Employ Young Americans Now Act—which would provide $5.5 billion in immediate funding to employ one million young Americans.
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Thursday, March 30, 2017
CONYERS Medicare for All bill gains steam in the wake of Trumpcare’s failure
The office of the Democratic representative from Michigan tells the New Republic that his Medicare for All bill now has 78 co-sponsors, with today’s addition of Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida.
“I have been introducing the Medicare For All bill every session of Congress since 2003, and I’m the longest serving member of Congress. I have never seen more enthusiasm and energy behind this issue than what I’m seeing today,” Conyers said in a statement. “I will keep introducing this bill as long as it takes because access to health care—not just health insurance, but quality, affordable care—is a universal right, not a privilege for those who can afford it.”
Conyers has introduced the bill yearly in the House since 2003, to varying degrees of support from fellow Democrats. Seventy-eight co-sponsors is the most it’s had since 2009, and though it’s DOA in a Republican-controlled government, its renewed popularity is a source of optimism for single-payer backers on the Hill. It comes at an auspicious time, as Democrats move from their tentative victory in keeping Obamacare alive to a new health care reform message for 2018 and beyond.
A congressional aide with knowledge of the situation tells the New Republic that single-payer is “a winning message.”
“The will is there at the grassroots. The will is there among progressives which are the Democratic base. The will is there among the constituents of more moderate and centrist Democrats,” he said.
“It’s just a question of if the party wants to decide to do something smart for a change.”
He added, “I hope that the [Democratic] caucus decides to make it a campaign issue because I think it would work a lot better than some of the things we’ve been trying.”
Update: Conyers’s office now says that Reps. David Price and Gene Green have signed the bill, bringing the number of co-sponsors to 80.
https://newrepublic.com/minutes/141752/john-conyerss-medicare-bill-gains-steam-wake-t
“It’s just a question of if the party wants to decide to do something smart for a change.”
He added, “I hope that the [Democratic] caucus decides to make it a campaign issue because I think it would work a lot better than some of the things we’ve been trying.”
Update: Conyers’s office now says that Reps. David Price and Gene Green have signed the bill, bringing the number of co-sponsors to 80.
https://newrepublic.com/minutes/141752/john-conyerss-medicare-bill-gains-steam-wake-t
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Candidate For DNC Chair U.S. Representative Keith Ellison In Detroit
Reverend Brian Ellison of the Church of the New Covenant Baptist Church of Detroit introducing his brother, U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, candidate for the Democratic National Committee Chair.
"We've got to stand up tall for small. Beyond a 50 state strategy, we need a 3,141 county strategy. We need a precinct strategy. We need to make sure our party is putting voters first." said U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, candidate for the Democratic National Committee Chair.
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| Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon |
This is the first time in history that a candidate for the DNC chair has actually traveled the country, going into the congressional districts and precincts to advocate for voting rights in the Democratic Party.
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| U.S. Representative Keith Ellison |
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| Representative Thomas Stalworth III and Debbie Williams of Families and Children Justice |
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
CBC Message To America: Rep. Conyers Breaks Down The Root Cause Of Crime & Poverty
“Ultimately, the same amount of energy poured into reforming our criminal justice system must also be centered on expanding education, job creation and access to affordable healthcare"
Representative John Conyers (D-MI) delivered this week’s CBC Message To America addressing the deeply rooted issues of crime, persistent poverty in urban communities of color, and criminal justice reform.
Rep. Conyers, a Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, explained, “The number of high poverty urban neighborhoods in the nation’s largest cities have tripled over the last 40 years.”
As a result, “Increased poverty has resulted in further segregation of neighborhoods and reduction of employment opportunities, access to affordable housing, and educational services.” Conyers continued, “Increased food and transportation services have all added yet another barrier for working class families to stay a float.”
“These conditions make our communities more vulnerable to crime, and the government’s knee-jerk response of over-incarceration has deprived our communities of the resources necessary to encourage economic development and crime prevention programs.”
“Disproportional sentencing laws have had a deep impact on high poverty,” Conyers said. “One in ten Black men in their thirties is incarcerated on any given day and more than 60 percent of our prisoners are racial and ethnic minorities.”
To combat these alarming trends, Rep. Conyers introduced the Law Enforcement Integrity Act to make police officers more accountable.
Conyers also highlighted the End Racial Profiling Act and the Sentencing Reform Act, which would narrow the scope of mandatory minimum prison sentences, and other pieces of legislation that could have a major impact in reversing the broken criminal justice system as well as curb mass incarceration.
Rep. Conyers told viewers he would continue to work even more to reverse the damage of persistent poverty in urban communities and mass incarceration, but the legislation he discussed in this week’s CBC Message to America would be a ”good start to bringing hope to families who’ve suffered from overly strict sentences.”
“Ultimately, the same amount of energy poured into reforming our criminal justice system must also be centered on expanding education, job creation, access to affordable healthcare, and housing and crime prevention programs,” said Conyers.
Rep. Conyers wrapped his remarks: “Proactive investment in our communities now is vital to a successful future.”
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015
The Benghazi Committee Should Stop Wasting Time and Taxpayer Money
By John Conyers, Jr.
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| Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jr. |
Nearly fifteen years ago, the Independent Counsel Law lapsed after controversies concerning overzealous prosecutors like Kenneth Starr -- who had an unlimited budget and little accountability. Today, we face a similar specter of an untethered investigation: the so-called "Select Committee on Benghazi."
On May 8, 2014, the House of Representatives established the Committee and authorized it to investigate the September 11, 2012 attack on United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya. The Committee was created even though the Benghazi incident had already been thoroughly investigated by seven other congressional committees and an independent Accountability Review Board, none of which found evidence of wrongdoing by American officials.
Nearly every Democrat, myself included, voted against the resolution authorizing the Select Committee. I did so because I believed it was time to look forward, not backward. I believed it was time to work on implementing the many recommendations coming out of these prior investigations in order to enhance the safety of diplomats serving overseas. Many of us also believed that the real reason behind the establishment of the Select Committee was to target former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, at that time, was rumored to be considering a presidential run.
Unfortunately, our fears have proven to be well-founded. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently admitted during a Fox News interview that "... we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping..." McCarthy, the one-time presumed replacement for House Speaker, has since removed himself from that race, admitting at a press conference that his Benghazi statement "didn't help" his chances of assuming that role.
This past summer, the Select Committee fired Major Bradley Podliska, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserve who worked as an investigator for ten months before he was terminated. Major Bradley now alleges that he was under intense pressure totarget Secretary Clinton. He claims that the Select Committee is "pursing a partisan investigation" and that he was fired, at least in part, for trying to conduct his responsibilities in a fact-based, objective manner.
Earlier this month, the Select Committee passed the mark and became the longest and one of the least active congressional investigations in history. It has held only three hearings in more than sixteen months. It has spent approximately 4.7 million taxpayer dollars. If it continues to spend at this rate, the House of Representatives will have spent more on the Select Committee than it will on education, scientific research, or veterans.
In particular, over the last several months, the Select Committee appears to have run aground over an issue that has absolutely no connection to the attacks in Benghazi: the use of a personal email account by Secretary Clinton, including the handling of classified information. There may be legitimate questions about this practice -- which was widespread at all levels of government until just a few years ago -- but they have nothing to do with the Select Committee. Moreover, the Select Committee appears ill-equipped to handle the subject matter for at least two reasons.
First, the Select Committee itself mishandled classified materials transmitted by email. On August 21, the New York Times, Politico, and others reported that the Select Committee had handled several classified emails on a unsecure system. Given the uncertainty of the classification process -- these emails appear not to have been deemed classified when the Select Committee first possessed them -- I cannot presume any bad faith on the part of Select Committee. However, the incident highlights the open-ended and malleable nature of the panel's investigation, given that substantially identical allegations -- retaining an email subsequently designated as classified after receipt on an unsecure server -- has been leveled by Select Committee Republicans at Secretary Clinton.
The aftermath of the disclosure also illustrates the problems with the Committee's lack of transparency. While the Minority staff for the Select Committee acknowledged that they were "instructed that it needed to move the document from unclassified computer systems and files to classified computer systems and files," the Majority has as of yet failed to acknowledge the discrepancy. Their spokesperson was only willing to acknowledge that its "system and server for handling classified information in electronic format was subjected to and passed a year of painstaking planning, documentation, and review by numerous security and IT professionals in the Intelligence Community." Left unsaid was why the Select Committee was pursuing a charge against Secretary Clinton -- the good faith retention of subsequently reclassified emails -- that seems to apply equally to themselves.
Second, the Select Committee appears to have intentionally leaked classified information for political ends. We know that one of the emails highlighted as inappropriate for Secretary Clinton to have on her unsecured server was leaked to the New York Times in full, unredacted form in May. This was followed by a false and inaccurate leak to the New York Times in late July, suggesting that Secretary Clinton was a target of a criminal referral by the Inspector General. These leaks are hard to square with Select Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy's statement that "serious investigations do not leak information or make selective releases of information without full and proper context." Yet, as it presently stands, there is no avenue to obtain accountability by the Select Committee on this or any other matter, just as there has been no accounting for the millions of dollars in taxpayer funds it has spent or how little work it has performed.
The disclosure that the Select Committee appears to have retained classified emails on a unsecure server, Rep. McCarthy's blunt admission that the Select Committee is merely a taxpayer-funded political ploy, and the latest revelation of partisan inner workings by a former investigator offers Majority leadership a chance to step back and recognize that its mandate has been long satisfied. I know Chairman Gowdy to be a fair and principled Member, and would therefore urge him to dissolve the Select Committee and get back to doing the business of the American people. As presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders stated to Secretary Clinton last night, "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!"
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Sunday, July 12, 2015
Conyers, Sanders Lead Call For Expanding Social Security
WASHINGTON, July 12 –Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today joined with more than 70 members of Congress in calling on President Obama to expand Social Security.
The letter to the president came on the eve of a historic conference on aging, convened once every 10 years to get the entire country talking about issues relating to older Americans.
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| Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jr. |
“A clear majority of Americans support expanding Social Security,” wrote Conyers, Sanders and other lawmakers. “As employers continue moving from a defined benefit model to a defined contribution model of retirement savings, it is critical that we fight to protect and expand Social Security – the only guaranteed source of income in retirement.”
“The aging conference that opens tomorrow,” wrote the lawmakers, “presents an excellent opportunity to open a discussion on expanding Social Security benefits.”
The conference, which is being hosted by the White House, runs all day tomorrow and includes discussions about healthy aging, long-term services, elder security and retirement security.
Joining Rep. Conyers and Sen. Sanders, the letter to the president was signed by 68 House members and Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Letter of Reps. John Conyers and Bernie Sanders to President to Expand Social Security
Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©Tuesday, September 16, 2014
REP. CONYERS, SENATOR SANDERS INTRODUCE THE EMPLOY YOUNG AMERICANS NOW ACT
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the “Employ Young Americas Now Act,” legislation that would fix our country’s youth jobs crisis.
| Rep. John Conyers. Jr. and Sen. Bernie Sanders |
The Employ Young Americans Now Act will provide $5.5 billion in immediate funding to states and localities to employ one million young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24, and provide job training to hundreds of thousands of young Americans. The legislation also allocates $4 billion in grant funding to the U.S. Department of Labor to create summer and year-round employment opportunities for low-income youth and another $1.5 billion in competitive grants for work-based training.
The youth unemployment rate in the United States for 16- to 19-year-olds was 19.6 percent in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The African-American youth unemployment rate is 32.8 percent.
“Nearly six million young Americans are neither in school nor working,” said Conyers. “This is a national emergency that demands immediate federal action. By empowering states, local communities, nonprofits, and small businesses to train and hire young Americans, this legislation will restore financial security, productivity, and dignity. Our economy and society are strongest when our young people enjoy decent opportunity.”
“The most serious crisis facing this country is the lack of decent-paying jobs, particularly when it comes to young Americans,” Sanders said. “If young high school graduates are unable to find entry-level jobs, how will they ever be able to develop the skills, the experience and the confidence they need to break into the job market?”
Sanders and Conyers emphasized that youth unemployment has long-term consequences. Today, more than5.8 million young Americans have either dropped out of high school or graduated from high school and have no jobs. Unemployment can equate to lower lifelong earnings and productivity for affected workers. Recent academic studies have shown that people who experience early bouts of unemployment suffer 10 to 15 % lower wages than their peers. These “wage scars” have been demonstrated to last upwards of 20 years.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) is a cosponsor of the Senate bill. “High unemployment hits our communities and families hard, and it is particularly devastating for teens and young adults who are denied the opportunity to get the basic job skills they need to go on to college and get a good paying job,” she said. “This legislation is an investment in our young adults who just need the chance to prove themselves and get ahead.”
In the House, the Employ Young Americans Now Act is cosponsored by Representatives Charles Rangel (NY-13), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), John Lewis (GA-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Elijah Cummings (MD-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), United Automobile Workers (UAW), the United Steelworkers of America, Campaign for America’s Future and the National Employment Law Project have also expressed support for this critical legislation.
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Monday, September 15, 2014
REP. CONYERS, SENATOR SANDERS TO INTRODUCE THE “EMPLOY YOUNG AMERICANS NOW ACT”
WASHINGTON – Tomorrow, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will hold a press conference to introduce the “Employ Young Americans Now Act,” legislation that would provide$5.5 billion in grants to states and local governments to provide job opportunities and professional career training to millions of young Americans.
According to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the youth unemployment rate is 19.6% and the African-American youth unemployment rate is 32.8%.
Who: Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
What: Press conference on youth jobs crisis
When: TOMORROW – Tuesday, Sept. 16 - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Senate Radio/TV Gallery (S325)
Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141
EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTH —SUMMER 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics
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