To promote Healthcare as a Human Right, PDA and our allies—including the California Nurses Association (CNA) / National Nurses United (NNU), Healthcare NOW, Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare, and Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP)—are working to expand and improve Medicare, the Republicans are working to end it. They vow to replace this effective, popular, life-saving program with vouchers they euphemistically call "premium support."

These cuts and changes will turn Medicare into "Coupon Care," impoverishing people who rely on Medicare, enriching private insurance companies, wasting taxpayers' money, and—most critically—endangering the health and lives of millions of people. It's up to you to tell Congress, "Hands off Medicare!" It's up to us to defend Medicare. Please donate $500, $50, or whatever you can now to support our organizing for healthcare as a human right.

Please Support PDA's Healthcare Not Warfare Campaign!

This week, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and allied organizations are gathering for vigils, movie showings, discussions, and other actions at dozens of locations around the United States to commemorate International Human Rights Day and to demand "Healthcare Not Warfare." To help prevent another war, PDA is supporting our friend Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's Stop Arming Terrorists Act. This legislation would: "prohibit the U.S. government from using American taxpayer dollars to provide funding, weapons, training, and intelligence support to groups like the Levant Front, Fursan al Ha and other allies of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda and ISIS, or to countries who are providing direct or indirect support to those same groups." We'll have more information about ways to help Tulsi with this legislation soon.

Michael Lighty, Director of Public Policy at CNA / NNU and PDA Board Member explains, "There's one easy way to guarantee healthcare for all—Protect, Improve and Expand Medicare. If we're going to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), let's do it the most popular way—64% of Americans want Medicare for All."

Medicare for All advocates will gather for a strategy conference January 13-15 in New York City. Please make plans to join us! If you can't attend the conference, please donate generously now to help PDA bring activists to NYC to defend Medicare against right wing attacks, and organize to expand it to all. Money tight? Then sign up for PDA's Healthcare Human Rights organizing team. Click here and make sure the box for Healthcare Human Rights is checked.

On the 10th anniversary of PDA's Healthcare Not Warfare campaign, we are relaunching the campaign to spark a new wave of organizing to guarantee high quality healthcare as a human right—financed by drastically decreasing spending on warfare, weapons, and military actions.

PDA Executive Director Donna Smith says, "A decade ago, PDA launched the Healthcare Not Warfare (HNW) campaign, calling for an end to war and redirection of funds to meet human needs—including an expanded and improved Medicare For All healthcare system. This to guarantee high quality healthcare for all as as a human right."

Michael Fox, PDA Deputy Director explains, "PDA demands that our leaders adopt peace and diplomacy as our primary policies, rather than regime change and military interventionism. We call on the incoming Trump Administration and the new Congress to fulfill our commitment under international agreements to guarantee healthcare as a human right, and to end all foreign wars as well as the domestic war currently being waged against the Indigenous Peoples at Standing Rock, and against all domestic populations."

Fox continues, "To emphasize our organizing and advocacy, PDA chapters nationwide will hold public vigils and other programs on or around December 10th at which PDA supporters and our allies will mark the 10th anniversary of the HNW Campaign. These events will dramatize our national failure to guarantee high quality healthcare as a human right, will express our solidarity with the Water Protectors at Standing Rock, and will also commemorate International Human Rights Day while reminding us of our largely-unmet treaty obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

PDA ally Nancy Altman writes, "Donald Trump did not campaign on a promise to destroy Medicare. In fact, he promised not to touch Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But now that the Republicans are in charge of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, destroying Medicare appears to be on the top of their agenda."

She adds, "This is classic bait and switch. Trump and his fellow Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare. Now, with the election in the rear-view mirror, House Speaker Paul Ryan has wasted no time in announcing his plan to end Medicare."

Nancy is the co-director of Social Security Works and co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security coalition and campaign. She is the author of The Battle for Social Security: From FDR’s Vision to Bush’s Gamble and co-author (with Eric Kingson) of Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn't Going Broke and How Expanding It will Help Us All.

Join PDA and allies at the Medicare for All strategy conference January 13-15 in New York City. Can't get to NYC? Then please donate generously now to help PDA bring activists to the conference, and keep us organizing for Medicare for All. Money tight? Then sign up for PDA's Healthcare Human Rights organizing team. Click here and make sure the box for Healthcare Human Rights is checked.

We can't do anything without you. Please support PDA now! Support our efforts with a generous donation now. Money short? Then contact Mike "Phone Guy" Fox to sign up to make important movement mobilizing phone calls and/or contact PDA Field Coordinator Judy Hess to get help organizing in your area.

In solidarity,

Mike Hersh for Donna, Judy, Mike F, Deb, Dan, Teva, Kim, Janis, and Amos
Your Progressive Democrats of America National Team

P.S. We're here to help you make progress in your state and locality! If you need any help organizing a new PDA chapter or energizing your existing chapter, please contact PDA Field Coordinator Judy Hess.

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