Health care coverage is a humanitarian right- Medicare4All

Medicare for All: "Everyone deserves healthcare—pandemic or not—and Medicare for All can get us there... We need Congress to put people before profits and support Medicare for All."

Report echo published in Common Dreams

'Everyone In, Nobody Out': Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) introduce Medicare for All Act, with112 Co-Sponsors.

"A system that prioritizes profits over patients and ties coverage to employment was no match for a global pandemic and will never meet the needs of our people."

Medicare4All would have prevented hundreds of of COVID deaths:

"We need to be prepared for the next pandemic, and we can't be under the current for-profit system."

Affirming that healthcare is a basic human right and that people must come before profits, Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2021, on Wednesday, exactly one year after the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Dingell (D-Mich.) unveiled the landmark legislation at a virtual town hall Wednesday afternoon, where they highlighted the devastating effects of a virus that has killed more than 537,000 people in the United States while leaving millions more uninsured due to pandemic-related job loss and underemployment.

The bill (pdf)—backed by a record 112 House co-sponsors—guarantees healthcare to every U.S. resident as a human right. It provides comprehensive benefits including primary care, vision, dental, prescription drugs, mental health, long-term services and supports, reproductive healthcare, and other services. It eliminates copays and private insurance premiums.

In a statement introducing the bill, Jayapal noted that the country is currently experiencing the highest increase in uninsured people ever recorded.

"While this devastating pandemic is shining a bright light on our broken, for-profit healthcare system, we were already leaving nearly half of all adults under the age of 65 uninsured or underinsured before Covid-19 hit," said Jayapal. "And we were cruelly doing so while paying more per capita for healthcare than any other country in the world."

On Tuesday, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen published a report showing that around 40% of U.S. Covid-19 infections and 33% of virus deaths are attributable to a lack of adequate health insurance coverage. At the onset of the pandemic, around 87 million Americans were uninsured or underinsured.

"There is a solution to this health crisis—a popular one that guarantees healthcare to every person as a human right and finally puts people over profits and care over corporations," said Jayapal. "That solution is Medicare for All—everyone in, nobody out—and I am proud to introduce it today alongside a powerful movement across America."

In a statement introducing the bill, Jayapal noted that the country is currently experiencing the highest increase in uninsured people ever recorded.

Dingell said in a statement that "a system that prioritizes profits over patients and ties coverage to employment was no match for a global pandemic and will never meet the needs of our people."

"In the wealthiest nation on Earth, patients should not be launching GoFundMe pages to afford lifesaving healthcare for themselves or their loved ones," she asserted. "Medicare For All will build an inclusive healthcare system that won't just open the door to care for millions of our neighbors, but do it more efficiently and effectively than the one we have today."

"Now is not the time to shy away from these generational fights," stressed Dingell, "it is the time for action."

Representatives of the more than 300 local, state, and national organizations endorsing the bill agreed.

"While this devastating pandemic is shining a bright light on our broken, for-profit healthcare system, we were already leaving nearly half of all adults under the age of 65 uninsured or underinsured before Covid-19 hit," said Jayapal. "And we were cruelly doing so while paying more per capita for healthcare than any other country in the world."

On Tuesday, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen published a report showing that around 40% of U.S. Covid-19 infections and 33% of virus deaths are attributable to a lack of adequate health insurance coverage. At the onset of the pandemic, around 87 million Americans were uninsured or underinsured.

"There is a solution to this health crisis—a popular one that guarantees healthcare to every person as a human right and finally puts people over profits and care over corporations," said Jayapal. "That solution is Medicare for All—everyone in, nobody out—and I am proud to introduce it today alongside a powerful movement across America."

"Physicians cannot give patients the care they need in a fractured and profit-driven system," said Dr. Susan Rogers, a Chicago-based internal medicine physician and president of Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP), in a statement. "For too long, doctors have watched helplessly as our patients delayed or skipped needed care—even walked out of our hospital doors—because they could not afford to pay."

"We can't let Congress sit on their hands while our patients suffer and die needlessly," added Rogers. "It's time to invest in a system that is designed to improve health outcomes, not profit margins. It's time for single-payer Medicare for All."

"Neanderthal Thinking" - President Biden says it's too soon for states to lift mask mandates

In my opinion, Governor Abbott of Texas continues to put his  political interests ahead of public health and safety. He is desperate to remove from the public's consciousness the failed Texas power grid disaster, when citizens suffered dangerous, and deadly hypothermia and the collateral damage that caused water contamination. So, Abbott capriciously put the public at even more risk of illness by lifting the state's mask mandate, in spite of not knowing how the COVID19, variants might infect Texas citizens.  

Governor Abbott made a capricious decision to lift the COVID19, public health mask mandate, while Texas citizens are still experiencing collateral damage caused by the state's failed power grid!

Three of Gov. Greg Abbott’s four coronavirus medical advisers say they weren’t directly consulted prior to lifting mask mandate.

President Biden responded that states like Texas and Mississippi are making a big mistake by ending mandates to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, at a time when the nation is making a push to boost vaccinations.

"The last thing — the last thing — we need is the Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine, take off your mask. Forget it. It still matters," Biden told reporters.

Echo report by Shawn Mulcahy, published in The Texas Tribune:

In April 2020, an optimistic Gov. Greg Abbott announced at the Texas Capitol that he would soon take initial steps to allow businesses to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.

The loosening of restrictions, his team said, would be informed by a statewide “strike force,” composed of business leaders and four medical experts who would advise the governor on a safe, phased plan.

"Every recommendation, every action by the governor will be informed and based on hard data and the expertise of our chief medical advisers,” James Huffines, a former bank executive who Abbott named as chair of the strike force, said at the time. “Everything we do will be medically sound. These nationally recognized advisers are leading experts in their fields and we will rely on their knowledge and expertise every step of the way."

Since then, Texas has suffered through two major case surges and thousands of deaths. Abbott imposed a mask order in July, and vaccine distribution has begun to give residents a reason for hope. On Tuesday, Abbott made waves again by announcing the repeal of his mask order and declaring “it is now time to open Texas 100%.”

This time, however, Abbott’s team of medical advisers appeared to play a minimal role in the decision. Three of the four said on Wednesday that Abbott did not directly consult with them prior to the drastic shift in policy. The fourth said he couldn’t say whether the move was a good idea.

One such adviser expressed overt reservations about the move.

“I don’t think this is the right time,” Dr. Mark McClellan, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University, said in a statement. “Texas has been making some real progress, but it’s too soon for full reopening and to stop masking around others.”

McClellan said that he was “not consulted before the announcement.”

Dr. Parker Hudson, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School, likewise told The Texas Tribune that he was “not involved with the decision,” but didn’t comment on whether he thought it was a good idea.

Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the state Department of State Health Services, also said he didn’t have a direct conversation with Abbott prior to the announcement, though he did say he spoke with the governor’s team. Hellerstedt told a panel of state House members Wednesday afternoon that he and Abbott were on the same page. He said the governor’s decision did not diminish safety.

“I think the difference is, should you wear a mask? The answer is absolutely yes,” Hellerstedt told the House Public Health Committee. “Does the governor want folks to wear a mask and to take their own personal responsibility to do it? The answer, I believe, is yes."

The one expert on the team who did speak with Abbott was Dr. John Zerwas, an executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System and a former Republican state representative. Zerwas said to the Tribune that he told Abbott he couldn’t say whether now was the right time to remove pandemic restrictions. But he advised Abbott that if he did rescind those restrictions, Abbott, “in the same breath,” should “continue to emphasize the importance of the public health measures that have allowed us to continue to really kind of get past this pandemic.”

“And I believe he did that,” Zerwas said.

Abbott’s order makes Texas the largest state in the country without a mask mandate. It allows businesses, including restaurants, bars, retail stores and sports venues, to operate at 100% capacity. The move goes against the guidance of most medical experts, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I think we at the CDC have been very clear that now is not the time to release all restrictions," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said of the decision.

Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Abbott, said in a statement that “the Governor speaks regularly with Dr. Hellerstedt and Dr. Zerwas, along with others in the medical community, regarding yesterday’s announcement. All were in agreement that Texans should continue following medical advice and safe standards on preventing COVID-19, to protect themselves and their loved ones, just like they do on other medical issues.”

Texas State Senator Borris Miles, D-Houston

Democrats lashed out, calling Tuesday’s announcement dangerously premature and worried it would lead to a dangerous rise in cases. State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, tweeted that the virus has already taken a disproportionate toll on Black Texans and that Abbott had “signed the death warrants of communities of color.”

"Black people are being disproportionately killed by COVID, there’s a lack of vaccine in communities of color... and now the Governor has lifted the mask mandate. He has signed the death warrants of communities of color.. Today he made it clear Black lives don’t matter. #txlege 6:36 PM · Mar 2, 2021"

Many hardliners in Abbott’s party, including Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, have for weeks (without public health support!) called on Abbott to end coronavirus restrictions.

Some state business leaders expressed support Wednesday. The Texas Restaurant Association thanked Abbott for “outlining a plan today that will lift costly business restrictions for most of the state where we are seeing significant improvement in our COVID-19 case, hospitalization and vaccination numbers.”

Disclosure: James Huffines, The Texas Restaurant Association, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

"We are all in this together – government, the private sector, family, friends, neighbors", Rep. Veronica Escobar.

An opinion echo authored by Texas U.S. Rep.-elect Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso published in the El Paso Times newspaper.

El Pasoans join Americans who are familiar with facing great challenges.

Rep. Veronica Escobar

In fact, the El Paso community has demonstrated time and again that we are strongest when we unite to face adversity.

Coronavirus, the pandemic that is sweeping the globe will prove to be one of the greatest challenges we will face. To adequately address it, we must each be armed with information driven by science, understand the gravity of the situation, and be motivated by prudent urgency.

Those are the guideposts that have helped the House of Representatives navigate this unprecedented health and economic crisis as we work to protect the American people, jobs and the economy.

Congress, with the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, has passed two House Democrat-led bipartisan bills to help address the coronavirus crisis. While not an exhaustive list, these two laws:

· Ensure free testing for everyone who needs it, including the uninsured

· Provide two weeks of paid sick leave as well as up to three months of family and medical leave for eligible workers

· Expand unemployment insurance access by easing state requirements

· Provide emergency loans for small businesses

· Fund local and state government health agencies

· Ensure food security for vulnerable populations and funding for food banks.

We will continue to deliver for the American people with as much as urgency as possible and work is underway on a third stimulus package, that includes new, strong, and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers.


We are all in this together – government, the private sector, family, friends, neighbors.

What has become painfully clear during this crisis is that deliberate erosion to our safety net – cuts to healthcare, food security, employment benefits, etc. – have exacerbated the crisis and created deeper insecurity in our communities.

As we work to rebuild the safety net that has been disassembled over time, there are things that you must do to keep yourself and those around you healthy and safe.

With every new presumptive case of COVID-19 announced in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, we must realize that these are announcements of the cases that are known to us. It is highly likely that the number of people carrying the virus is much greater, and we won’t know until there is adequate and ample testing.

Unfortunately, we don’t know when the Trump administration will have more tests available for communities across the country. 

This inability to provide COVID19 tests has been a monumental failure that has prevented us from understanding the depth of the crisis and has crippled our ability to truly address the situation.

Until the federal government has a better understanding of the true numbers, there are things you must do to keep yourself safe.

First, acknowledge that this is truly a life-threatening pandemic; understand the gravity of the situation, but don’t panic. Stay informed. Visit www.cdc.gov as well as my website, escobar.house.gov/services/coronavirus to keep up-to-date.

Stay home as much as possible, and if you have to be out, avoid close contact with others.

We have to understand that the more we exercise caution today, the better the outcome in the long-run. Spending time apart from the people we love and the work that we do is difficult. But if we don’t do it, there could be more tragic consequences ahead.

I’m grateful to our first responders, our health care workers, grocery store employees who are working as best as they can to ensure we have what we need. I’m grateful for the neighbors, friends and family members who are keeping each other in check, ensuring everyone has what they need and helping to keep our spirits high.

Donald Trump is not qualified to lead the American pandemic response

COLUMN: Trump is a dangerously bad source on coronavirus
Echo opinion published in the Waterloo, Iowa newspaper The Courier written by Steve Corbin*

"Don't take medical advice from Trump."- reported in BBCNews.

At a dangerous time when COVID-19, a deadly virus just like the swine flu, is spreading coast to coast and border to border, Americans should be able to rely on the advice of Donald Trump.

Or, should we listen to scientists instead of our commander in chief?

According to the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, 86 percent of Americans are confident scientists act in the best interest of the public. Today, 64 percent have expressed “no confidence” in President Donald Trump.

In October 2009, right wing Rush Limbaugh declared “screw you” during his radio program, in reaction to Obama administration’s recommendation for people to get a vaccination against the swine flu. On the right wing propaganda Fox News, Glenn Beck urged voters to do “the exact opposite” of scientific advisers’ recommendation. Donald Trump called into Fox News, dismissed concern about the swine flu and told host Neil Cavuto that “it’s going to go away” and “the vaccines can be very dangerous.”

As a result of lemmings following the advice of Limbaugh, Beck and Trump, research by Dr. Matthew Baum of Harvard University found Republicans were much less likely to get vaccinated. Predominantly, Republican states had higher death rates than predominantly Democratic states. Sadly, 12,469 Americans died due to the swine flu (The Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 2011).

As Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times reported March 7, “This is a case where toxic right-wing bluster was not only corrosive but also apparently lethal — but only to true believers.”

Based on that information, I think it’s safe to say it’s dangerous to listen to ideologues rather than scientists.

Trump’s dislike of science is quite evident: Climate change is a Chinese hoax, vaccines are dangerous and wind turbines cause cancer. He prohibited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials from using words like “evidence-based” and “science-based” in official documents. He’s cut funding to CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) while dissing the World Health Organization (WHO).

With COVID-19, who do we now need for advice, guidance and counsel? Indeed, it's CDC, NIH and WHO. What goes around, comes around.

According to a March 8, New Yorker article, “Physicians and public health officials are dispirited by the president’s public pronouncements, saying that he has added to the danger of the crisis by minimizing its scale and the need for rigorous precautions.”

The New York Times reports “the White House instructed one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, not to say anything else without White House clearance.” Heretofore, with the SARS and Ebola outbreaks, federal scientists communicated directly with the public.

Dr. Michael Mina, epidemiologist at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health, notes, “We need the president to put the well-being of the American people before his re-election. And that requires open discussion and accurate information.”

David Remmick of The New Yorker writes, “Has there ever been a less serious president?”

Trump’s “poisoning the well” attitude hasn’t helped. Guess who, on Feb. 24, jumped in to support Trump? Rush Limbaugh told his listeners, “I want to tell you the truth about the coronavirus. Yeah, I’m dead right on this. The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.”

Charlie Sykes, a staunch Republican and founder of Bulwark, a conservative news site, tweeted about Limbaugh: “stunningly reckless.”

The time is long overdue for Trump to stop playing politics with COVID-19 and put scientists back in charge without them seeking White House approval as to what to apprise Americans about the epidemic. I’m confident obtaining national and Iowa-based scientific information about COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov and www.idph.iowa.gov is more advisable than following the unscientific musings of Limbaugh, Beck and Trump.

*Check out Steve Corbin on Facebook at this site here.