National Nurses United this week endorsed the U.S. Presidential candidate who agrees with nurses’ values and is an ardent advocate for issues important to the nursing profession, like expanding Medicare, the Robin Hood Tax to ensure Wall Street pays its fair share, and proper safety and protections from infectious diseases for nurses and patients.
National Nurses United announced on August 10 the endorsement of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for President at a “Conversation with Bernie” at NNU’s national offices in California. Hundreds of RNs cheered Sanders on at the California event, and thousands more watched on live stream at 34 watch parties in 14 states, including Minnesota.
“I have spent my career fighting for something that I consider to be a human right,” Sanders told the crowd. “That human right is health care.”
He said it’s time for a Medicare for All single-payer health care program in the U.S.
“We have got to move toward a health care system which is based on providing quality care to all of our people rather than worrying about the profits of the insurance companies,” he said. “We have got to move toward a health care system which ends the absurdity of Americans paying, by far, the highest price for prescription drugs in the world.”
MNA President Linda Hamilton had the honor of being one of the NNU members introducing Senator Sanders. Hamilton said the members she represents are looking forward to issue-based discussions in the campaign. She said Senator Sanders will address the real problems that patients and the country face.
According to NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro, NNU has adopted a call to Vote Nurses Values – Caring, Compassion, Community.
“Nurses take the pulse of America, and have to care for the fallout of every social and economic problem – malnutrition, homelessness, un-payable medical bills, the stress and mental disorders from joblessness, higher asthma rates, cancer, heart ailments and birth defects from environmental pollution and the climate crisis,” she said. “Bernie Sanders’s prescription best represents the humanity and the values nurses embrace.”