Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1011065
6 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G M AY | J U N E 2 0 1 8 NATIONAL N ational nurses united enthu- siastically welcomed the inaugu- ral formation in July of a U.S. House of Representatives Medicare for All Caucus, the latest sign of growing support for guaranteed healthcare for all through an improved and expanded Medicare for All, single-payer system. Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Debbie Dingell, and Keith Ellison joined nurses and other health and community activists in a press conference July 19 to announce the creation of the caucus, which will promote passage of H.R. 676, a Medicare for All bill, that now has 122 House cosponsors, nearly two- thirds of all House Democrats. Ellison is lead sponsor of H.R. 676. A Congressional caucus is a group of legislators that meets to pursue a common legislative agenda. "Today is a historic day in the movement for single-payer health care," said Martese Chism, a Chicago RN who sits on the CNA/NNOC board and is also a vice president of NNU, at the press conference. "For the first time ever, we have a Congressional caucus that is committed to achieving Medicare for All…This caucus is so incredibly important, because it is far past time for Congress to get its act together, and fundamentally change the health system in this country." A March Kaiser Family Foundation survey found nearly 60 percent support for Medicare for All. Health care has become a leading issue in election races across the country heading into Novem- ber as growing numbers of candidates for the House, Senate, governor's races, and state legislative states embrace Medicare for All. "With polls showing increasing support for Medicare for All and new signs every day of a system that is out of control, the forma- tion of this Congressional caucus could not be more timely," said Deborah Burger, RN and one of the NNU copresidents. "Nurses see patients every day who are harmed by a system in crisis, and we know that the solu- tion is within our reach." —Staff report House reps form first Medicare for All caucus NEWS BRIEFS JAY MALLIN PHOTOS