January 31, 2022 (info@medicare4all.org)
Today, elected leaders in California had the opportunity to put patients first and set an example for the whole country by passing AB 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, in the State Assembly.
Instead, Assemblymember Ash Kalra, the main author of the bill, chose not to hold a vote on this bill at all, providing cover for those who would have been forced to go on the record about where they stand on guaranteed health care for all people in California.
We condemn this failure by elected representatives to put patients above profits, especially during the worst surge of Covid-19 yet, at a time when it’s more clear than ever before that health care must be a right, not just a privilege for those who can afford it.
We are especially outraged that Kalra chose to just give up on patients across the state. Nurses never give up on our patients, and we will keep fighting with our allies in the grassroots movement for CalCare until all people in California can get the care they need, regardless of ability to pay.
You can read our full statement on today’s events here and share it on Twitter here.
Let’s not forget how much progress we have made as a movement. Together, we moved our bill through the Assembly Health and Appropriations Committees this month. We texted 3.7 million California voters, made 70,000 calls, sent 12,000 postcards, texted 300,000 monolingual Spanish speakers, held dozens of legislative visits, passed resolutions in 28 cities, and held multiple massive statewide days of action. Our movement isn’t going anywhere, and we’re only getting stronger.
We’ll be back soon with updates on our next steps, but for today, we wanted to sincerely thank you for all the support you’ve shown for this movement. As we continue the fight for health care for all, we’re so grateful to have you with us, Mike.
In solidarity,
Jasmine Ruddy
Organizer
Nurses’ Campaign to Win CalCare
