Democrats Abroad endorses the "Medicare-for-All" bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on September 13th by Bernie Sanders and co-sponsors including Sens Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris.
"The ‘Medicare-for-All’ bill is currently the best route to attaining the goal of universal healthcare and as such we endorse it." stated Julia Bryan, International Chair of Democrats Abroad, on behalf of the International Executive Committee of Democrats Abroad. "We invite those who favor other routes to put forward ideas that are as practical and thorough in attaining coverage for all.”
As Sanders explained in The New York Times Wednesday, the bill would mean that “every family in America would receive comprehensive coverage, and middle-class families would save thousands of dollars a year by eliminating their private insurance costs as we move to a publicly funded program.”
The endorsement from Democrats Abroad is the most recent push in support for Universal Healthcare from the organization, which has consistently maintained a stance that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Americans around the world have advocated for an affordable healthcare solution for residents in the United States similar to what many have experienced first-hand overseas.
"We consistently hear stories of 'healthcare refugees' - Americans abroad who can't return to the States because their health care would be cost prohibitive back home," added Bryan. "Healthcare should be a given, not a question mark, and it's time for U.S. policies to reflect that."