A Populist Health Care Rebellion

A Populist Health Care Rebellion by Kevin Zeese via CounterPunch.org

As the hearing began, and Sen. Baucus was speaking a group of about 30 nurses, dressed in their red hospital uniforms, stood up and turned their backs on Baucus. They had pinned to their backs: “Nurses Say: Stop AHIP. Pass Single Payer.” (AHIP is America’s Health Insurance Plans – the health insurance industry lobby.)

The nurses left the room to applause.

Then doctors, nurses and advocates stood up and one by one and spoke directly to Senator Baucus.

DeAnn McEwen, a registered nurse from California said: “Today is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Florence Nightingale said if there were none to hope for any better, there would never be any better. This country needs a single payer health care system.”

Then, another RN from California stood up: “People at the table have failed Americans for 30 years. We want single payer at the table. We want guaranteed health care so we can give the care we need, when we need to give it.”

She was followed by Dr. Judy Dasovich of Springfield, Missouri, who said “We request that single payer advocates be allowed at the table. Health care should be for patients not for profits.”

Dr. Steven Fenichel of Ocean City, NJ followed adding: “It’s a sense of outrage that brings me to your Senate chambers today. These people were entrusted by the American people to serve the American people’s interests. And they are just serving the interests of the insurance companies and drug companies – the people be damned.”

Jerry Call, a member of Physicians for a National Health Program from South Thomaston, Maine was the final advocate from the audience, speaking for the majority of Americans shut out from the discussion, and saying: “Sixty percent of Americans and sixty percent of physicians want single payer. Why aren’t sixty percent of the people up front not single payer representatives?”

All five were arrested and taken away for booking. They were charged with Disruption of Congress, the same offense I will go to court for on May 26th.

Yes my friends, under this wonderful progressive leadership that we get from the Democrats, trying to speak to Congress about national health insurance is a crime. Try it, and you end up led out of the room in handcuffs.

Of course, people should try to address a congressional hearing in the traditional way. That is by going and testifying before the committee. But, in this case, that avenue has been denied. Our lovely Democrats have issued an imperial degree that single payer health care can not even be discussed. So, they hold hearing after hearing where the representatives of the health insurance companies get a seat at the table, while the supporters of national health insurance are barred from testifying.

"Disruption of Congress". Apparently that's the charge for daring to get in the way of a bunch of Senators who all take money from the health insurance industry as they try to find ways to give more money out of your pocket to the people who bought them.