Progressive Democrats Executive Director's Statement Opposing Party Platform

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, July 29 -- The Progressive Democrats of America issued the following statement by Executive Director Alan Minsky:

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) supports the DNC Delegates who are planning to vote against the proposed 2020 Democratic Party platform because it does not include a universal single-payer Medicare for All program.

There are two very simple reasons for this. 1. America's private health insurance system is a national disgrace that prioritizes profits over people, delivering very subpar results at excessive cost compared to similar countries - a point tragically driven home by the ongoing pandemic. 2. Medicare for All fixes these failures by allowing America's world class doctors and healthcare professionals to practice medicine for all Americans, free at the point of service.

In other words, PDA opposes the platform out of conviction. We're advocating for what's best for the people and the country.

The failing U.S. Healthcare system, and what to do about it, was the most discussed topic during this past year's Presidential debates. At the end of these, the exit polling was unequivocal. Democratic voters overwhelmingly want Medicare for All. That certainly sounds like something that should be in the Party platform.

Not surprisingly, public support for Medicare for All rose even higher after COVID-19 struck. A Harris X/Hill poll from the spring showed 69% of all Americans support the universal single-payer healthcare plan. A staggering 88% of Democrats were in favor. Given these results, and the suffering of the American people during the pandemic, Medicare for All would not only be a winning issue in November - it would be a landslide winning issue.

Indeed, PDA is opposing the current Party platform in the spirit of helping Democrats triumph this fall. To be crystal clear, so there can be no misunderstanding, PDA will be doing everything we can to help Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump. As such, we believe that a spirited show of support for Medicare for All by the Party's vibrant progressive wing will draw a sharp distinction with Republicans. It will signal to both progressives, and to the tens of millions of Americans who oppose the current for-profit system, that the Democratic Party is a big tent organization where there is passionate debate over policies to improve the lives of Americans. Most importantly, it will remind voters that the only pathway to fixing America's broken healthcare system runs through the Democratic Party - which strikes me as a pretty compelling reason to vote blue.