A national health care system that includes everyone and puts people over profits is Maine AllCare’s ultimate goal, but given the perennial gridlock in Congress action at the state level is one of the most viable routes to national change.
Maine is one of several states poised to enact a state-level universal health care system, if and when barriers to getting the necessary federal waivers are removed. Here in Maine, in fact, we passed a universal health care bill in 2021 that can go into effect when such action happens. One of the best ways to do this is for Congress to pass the State-Based Universal Health Care Act (SBUHCA), a bill sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna that was recently reintroduced in the House.
Our allies at One Payer States are campaigning hard to increase the number of co-sponsors for this bill—now at 28, the highest number yet! Below is a message and call to action from Chuck Pennachio, president of One Payer States, to support SBUHCA.
Chellie Pingree has signed on, but Jared Golden has not. It’s time for Golden to hear from his constituents that we want real change in health care! If you live in CD2, please contact Golden. And if you live in CD1, call or email to thank Pingree for co-sponsoring. See contact info for both below.
Health Care Hope for the Holidays
December 11, 2023
Washington, DC
Good news!
U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-1) and Summer Lee (PA-12) recently signed on with H.R. 6270, bringing us to 28 cosponsors. Let’s keep up the momentum!
We have four more days before Congress recesses for the calendar year. Let’s recruit 4-8-12-16-20 more U.S. House Members onto Rep. Khanna+ 28 co’s H.R. 6270: “State-Based Universal Health Care Act.”
Call 1-202-224-3121 (Capitol Hill switchboard, 9-5 ET) and tell your U.S. Rep.’s healthcare aide or receptionist (D, R, or I):
“I am ____ with ___. We need Healthcare Hope for the Holidays. Gift that hope to us: co-sponsor and pass H.R. 6270 State-Based Universal Healthcare Act (SBUHCA). We all need healthcare and several states are poised to pass and implement healthcare for all systems. H.R. 6270 provides the federal funding waivers that will let state programs flourish to their fullest potential. Those state-based universal healthcare systems will provide new ideas and new momentum for a national solution. Given our fractured Congress, this is the easiest pathway forward: reward the states with the best programs and they will reward the rest of us with proven policies and practices.”
This is the time of the year when almost everyone feels and acts more generously and hospitable. Congress is no exception. That means it’s also the best time to ask your Member, and beyond, to cosponsor H.R. 6270.
How We Work Together:
I am your DC-based-shoes-on-the-ground-
door-knocking-citizen-
persuader-guy-with-a-tie and you are my outside-DC-cong-district-
level-citizen-persuader-tour-
de-force. Our connection and coordinated steps are how we win new cosponsors and how we build to 218-51-1—that’s the majority vote numbers by House-Senate-Potus for which we have a strategy to win. I am ridiculously available on text at 215 828 5055, on phone in the evenings, and on email at
cpennacchio@gmail.com (please put SBUHCA or HR 6270 in the subject line).
Join us as we join you.
Yours in radical solidarity,
Chuck
