New York State Senate Resolution urges passage of H.R. 676

The New York State Senate passed a resolution on June 2, 2009 supporting HR 676 and national, single-payer healthcare. The language of the resolution is as follows.

New York State Senate Resolution
Urging the New York State Congressional delegation to enact H.R. 676

Adopted 06/02/09

BILL TEXT: 2313
Sponsor: Senator BRESLIN
Cosponsors: Senators ADDABBO, DIAZ, DUANE, ESPADA, HASSELL-THOMPSON, ONORATO, SCHNEIDERMAN, STAVISKY, THOMPSON

LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional delegation to enact H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act

WHEREAS, Every person in New York State and in all the United States deserves access to affordable, quality health care; and

WHEREAS, There is a growing crisis in health care in the United States of America, manifested in rising health care costs, increased premiums, out-of-pocket spending, decreased international business
competitive- ness, and massive layoffs; and

WHEREAS, As of May of 2009, approximately 2.6 million New Yorkers lack health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Those uninsured now often experience unacceptable medical debt and sometimes life-threatening delays in obtaining health care; and

WHEREAS, One-half of all personal bankruptcies are due to illnesses or medical bills; and

WHEREAS, The increasing expense of Medicaid and the rising costs of insuring state employees and teachers can best be met not by limiting benefits, but by expanding them under a national, publicly-funded health insurance program; and

WHEREAS, The complex bureaucracy arising from our system of fragmented, for-profit, multi-payer system of health care financing consumes approximately 30 percent of the United States’ healthcare
spending; and

WHEREAS, United States Representatives John Conyers, Yvette D. Clarke, Eliot L. Engel, Maurice D. Hinchey, Carolyn B. Maloney, Eric J.J. Massa, Gregory W. Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Paul D. Tonko, Edolphus Towns and Nydia M. Velazquez have introduced H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act, in the United States House of Representatives for the 111th Congress, this Act would provide a universal, comprehensive, single payer system of high quality national health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Passage of H.R. 676 would save New York State citizens, businesses and governmental bodies at least ten billion dollars ($10,000,000,000) annually in health care costs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to enact H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of New York.