WALNUT CREEK – Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, California’s first elected State Insurance Commissioner, today explained why universal health care is at the top of his priorities. Garamendi is a candidate for Congress in California’s 10th Congressional District. A transcript is below.
“Hello, this is Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a candidate for Congress in the 10th Congressional District.
“Some of my earliest work in the legislature was on health care. We grew up in an area where there was very little health care, so the first bill I introduced was to establish the rural clinics in California. And now, four million Californians have been served in clinics, both rural and urban. We went on to put into place the emergency medical systems, so when you go to the hospital and are picked up by a paramedic, that was my law that established that.
“But most of all, I want to see America have a universal health care system. I developed a program as insurance commissioner in the 1990s that became a national model. In fact, President Clinton picked it up for his 1992 campaign and used it throughout the campaign, and he gave me the pleasure and the honor to be the principle speaker at the 1992 Democratic Convention on health care issues.
“Unfortunately, he was unable to get that law passed. And here we are today with a situation far worse now than it was 15 years ago. We need to establish a universal health care system, and I’ll tell you, the best way to do it is to take Medicare and make it available to all. Don’t send your premiums to the health insurance companies where you’ll get ripped off. Rather, send them to the Medicare office, a uniform national policy, choose any doctor, any provider you want to have.
It works. It’s worked for the most expensive part of our population: the seniors. So why don’t we do it for everyone? That’s my question, and that’s what I’m going to work for in Congress.”
A link to the podcast is here:
http://www.garamendi.org/sites/default/files/Podcast%20Healthcare.mp3
Garamendi supports a robust public option. For more information on Garamendi’s health care platform, please visit http://www.garamendi.org/issues/healthcare.
Garamendi has been endorsed by the California Nurses Association, Democratic Activists for Disabilities Issues (DADI), Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Lynn Woolsey, and Congressional candidate Bill Durston, a practicing nurse.
The campaign previously released podcasts on Garamendi’s early career, the importance of Travis Air Force Base, veterans issues, education, and labs/research.
Garamendi is endorsed by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.
He has also been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Lynn Woolsey, Congressional Oceans Caucus Co-Chair Sam Farr, and East Bay Regional Park District Board Member Ayn Wieskamp.
He has also been endorsed by the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Livermore Independent, and San Francisco Bay Guardian.
As a state legislator, Garamendi, who chaired the Senate Health Committee, authored more than 20 bills signed into law that address health care disparities. His legislation:
· Broadened clinic access to tens of thousands of residents in unserved and underserved communities throughout California;
· Revolutionized California emergency care response, creating important professional standards for the training and certification of ambulance and trauma care personnel;
· Funded well over $100 million for tobacco, cancer, and pulmonary disease research ;
· Improved services for the developmentally disabled;
· Increased penalties for “kickbacks” for health services referrals; and
· Required insurance companies to include in their plans reimbursements for procedures conducted at psychiatric health facilities.
A special primary election will be held on September 1st. For more information, please visit http://www.garamendi.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Josh Franco 916-863-6881, jfranco@garamendi.org
August 30, 2009
