This Wednesday, the Council unanimously passed a Resolution of Support for H.R. 676, U.S. Representative John Conyers' proposed act for National Single Payer Health Care.

RESOLUTION

"Urge Congress to enact the United States National Health Care Act sponsored by Representative John Conyers. (Resolution sponsored by Commissioner Leonard, Mayor Adams, and Commissioner Fritz)

WHEREAS all people deserve equal access to quality health care; and

WHEREAS, there is a growing crisis in health care in the United Statesof America, rnanifested in rising health care costs, increased premiums, out-of-pocket spending, and decreased international business competitiveness; and

WHEREAS in 2007 - 2008 approxirnately one third of Oregonians lacked health insurance at some time; and insured now often experience burdensome medical debt; and

WHEREAS half of all personal bankruptcies are due to illnesses or rnedical bills; and  

WHEREAS rising costs of insuring city employees can best be met not by limiting their benefits or terminating their employment, but by expanding their health care benefits under a national, publicly-funded health care program; and

WHEREAS the complex bureaucracy arising from our fragrnented, for-profit, multi-payer system of health care financing consumes approximately 30 percent of the United Statess health care spending while Medicare has a 3 percent overhead; and 

WHEREAS  Representative John Conyers introduced H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act, in the United States House of Representatives for the 111th Congress; and

WHEREAS, this Act would provide a universal, comprehensive, single-payer system of high quality national health care;

 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Portland:

 Respectfully urges the United States Congress to enact the United States National Health Care Act sponsored by Representative John Conyers.

Directs the City Attomey to transmit copies of this Resolution to the President of the United States and to members of the Oregon congressional delegation accompanied by letters urging them to work to adopt and implement the United States National Health Care Act (Expanded and lmproved Medicare for All Act) as defined in H.R. 676 which will provide for comprehensive health care coverage for all United States residents.

Affirms that the Council of the City of Portland will use the City's website, public  meetings, news releases, and other forms of communication to encourage Portland residents to particþate actively in the democratic process by informing their elected officials of their wishes and expectations regarding H.R. 676 and other matters of public concern."

With this post, I help deliver on the affirmation that the Council will use the City's web site, and I am encouraging you to contact your Congressional representatives to urge their support of health care for all.  See this post for contact information.