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Home→Tags Pramila Jayapal

Tag Archives: Pramila Jayapal

5/11 News Roundup & OT

The Progressive Wing Posted on May 11, 2021 by BennyMay 11, 2021

Bonjour! Let’s star the thread with an op-ed by Pramila Jayapal and Bernie Sanders Concerning Medicare
We must fix the gaping holes in Medicare

More than 55 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare — one of the most popular and successful government programs in our nation’s history — into law. Before the enactment of Medicare, about half of our senior citizens were uninsured and roughly 35 percent lived in poverty. Today, everyone in America aged 65 or older is guaranteed health-care benefits through Medicare regardless of income or medical condition, while the official poverty rate for seniors is now less than 9 percent.

That is the good news. The bad news is that, since its inception in 1965, Medicare has not covered such basic health-care needs as hearing, dental care and vision. The result: Millions of senior citizens have teeth rotting in their mouths, are unable to hear what their children and grandchildren say or can’t read a newspaper because of failing eyesight. It is a cruel irony that older Americans do not have coverage for these benefits at the time when they need it the most.

The lack of benefits for hearing, dental and vision has severe consequences for worsening a whole host of other medical conditions. Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia. Aging affects teeth as well, as gum tissue naturally recedes exposing roots to decay and infection. Poor oral health and untreated gum disease leads to increased serious risk of heart attacks, strokes, rheumatoid arthritis and worsened diabetes. Aging also takes a toll on vision, leading to injury, cognitive impairment and depression.

And yet, in the richest country in the world, the outrageous reality is that 75 percent of senior citizens who suffer from hearing loss do not have a hearing aid because of the prohibitive cost. Sixty-five percent of senior citizens have no dental insurance and no idea how they will be able to afford to go to a dentist. More than a quarter of senior citizens in this country are missing all of their natural teeth, with many unable to properly digest the food that they eat. Over 70 percent of Americans 65 and older have untreated gum disease. We simply cannot tolerate this any longer.

The original vision of Medicare was to provide quality health-care coverage to our nation’s seniors. Today, it’s past time to fix the gaping holes that are the lack of coverage for dental, vision and hearing, which are so critical, especially as we age. We must do what the overwhelming majority of Americans want us to do: expand Medicare to cover hearing aids, dental care and eyeglasses.

But expanding benefits is not the only thing we need to do. Too many older workers are uninsured or underinsured, which is why we must lower the eligibility age for Medicare to at least 60. Doing so would give 23 million older workers the security of knowing they can finally address illness and injury and not worry about how they will pay for a doctor. This is not only the right thing to do from a public policy perspective; it is also what the overwhelming majority of Americans support. That’s why we are joined by over 100 colleagues in the House and the Senate — including those in some of the most vulnerable districts in the country — who last month asked President Biden to include these critical proposals in his American Families Plan.

Expanding Medicare and lowering the eligibility age will cost money. So, how are we going to pay for it? There is an easy, popular and necessary answer: by taking on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and demanding that it stops ripping off U.S. taxpayers by charging us the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Medicare and the rest of the federal government should do what Veterans Affairs already does, and what every major country on Earth does: negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower the outrageously high price of prescription drugs. It is a travesty that in the United States, one vial of insulin has gone from costing $21 in 1999 to $332 in 2019, reflecting a price increase of more than 1,000 percent.

By setting drug prices at the median price of other major countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, the Congressional Budget Office estimates we’ll save taxpayers at least $500 billion over a 10-year period. Additional cost-saving measures can raise the total saved to at least $650 billion. With those savings, we can finally make drug prices affordable for all Americans, give Americans over 60 the security of having Medicare, and expand the benefits that Medicare provides to include dental, vision and hearing. Let’s do what is wildly popular with the American people and get this done.

More perspectives, news, tweets, videos, etc in the comments.

Posted in Bernie Sanders, News, Open Thread | Tagged health care, Medicare, Pramila Jayapal

4/30 Shared Priorities For COVID-19: Jayapal, Pocan, Sanders, and Warren Panel Discussion & OT

The Progressive Wing Posted on April 30, 2020 by BennyApril 30, 2020

On in 10 minutes (close to 6 CT) is a panel discussion via YT with Reps Pocan and Jayapal, and Sens Sanders and Warren.

Tune in —> https://t.co/Ys1aLqH4ho

— Ari Rabin-Havt (@AriRabinHavt) April 30, 2020

Our Revolution is having an event too.

We’ll add more news, tweets, and videos in the comments. This serves as an open thread. It’s Thursday evening and Benny’s bar is open for HH.

Bar is Open.JPG

Bar is Open.JPG

Posted in Activism, Bernie Sanders, grassroots, Justice Democrats | Tagged Bernie Sanders, COVID-19, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal

4/27 Jayapal Endorses Here’s the Deal Joe; Sanders TH on COVID-19 & OT

The Progressive Wing Posted on April 27, 2020 by BennyApril 27, 2020

Today I am announcing my endorsement of @JoeBiden for President of the United States.

VP Biden is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people. I am moved by his compassion and ability to connect with people on the most human level.

— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) April 27, 2020

What if she were being vetted? Long shot for sure.

Economic and health care assistance must be available to all, regardless of immigration status. Join our live town hall on how the coronavirus crisis is impacting the undocumented community: https://t.co/QvYtCpzBmp

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 27, 2020

“As progressives we all understand that the essence of what we believe in is the concept of solidarity,that we’re all in this together. No matter what our color may be,no matter where we were born,no matter what kind of work we do. We are human beings, and we are in it together.”

I wish he would address the NY ballot issue, but don’t believe if he will. Meantime, there’s been push back from Bernie’s team, but we’ll put those in the comments section. Consider this an open thread. BYOB tonight.

Posted in grassroots | Tagged Bernie Sanders, COVID-19, Immigration, Joe Biden, Pramila Jayapal

4/14 Recession– is it here already? Bernie Talks Up Biden to AP; Afternoon/Eve OT

The Progressive Wing Posted on April 14, 2020 by BennyApril 14, 2020


(credit: WSJ)

I think it’s already here. Progressive Rep. Pramilla Jayapal has her staff working overtime on various bills. Here’s one of them.

My Paycheck Guarantee Act continues to pick up support from a diverse set of economists, lawmakers, labor unions, businesses & others.

Why? Because mass unemployment is catastrophic but avoidable – & a federal paycheck guarantee is a solution that meets the scale of the crisis. https://t.co/XsqSUgLy9c

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) April 14, 2020

So is Speaker Pelosi, feeding her hungry corporate socialist donors:

Pelosi is ON IT https://t.co/bFaVgGACn0

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) April 14, 2020

More layoffs coming...

The consensus of 57 economists surveyed this month by The Wall Street Journal is that 14.4 million jobs will be lost in the coming months, and the unemployment rate will rise to a record 13% in June, from a 50-year low of 3.5% in February. Already nearly 17 million Americans have sought unemployment benefits in the past three weeks, dwarfing any period of mass layoffs recorded since World War II.

Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist of Oxford Economics, projects 27.9 million jobs will be lost, and industries beyond those ordered to close will account for 8 to 10 million, a level of job destruction on a par with the 2007-09 recession.

Oxford Economics, a U.K.-based forecasting and consulting firm, projects April’s jobs report, which will capture late-March layoffs, will show cuts to 3.4 million business-services workers, including lawyers, architects, consultants and advertising professionals, as well as 1.5 million nonessential health-care workers and 100,000 information workers, including those working in the media and telecommunications.

“The virus shock does not discriminate across sectors as we initially thought,” Mr. Daco said.

Forecast April job losses, in selected industries, in millions:
Source: Oxford Economics

7.9 Accommodation, food service
4.9 Retail, excluding online, grocery
1 Entertainment
3.4 Professional, business services
1.5 Ambulatory health-care services
1.5 Manufacturing
1.4 Transportation, warehousing
0.8 Wholesale trade
0.6 Social assistance
0.6 Construction

Gary Cuozzo, owner of ISG Software Group in Wallingford, Conn., said in recent weeks he’s only received a few hundred dollars in payments from customers, including manufacturers, nonprofits and retailers, for which he hosts websites and builds applications. It’s not enough to pay the $3,000 electric bill for his servers and other equipment, much less pay his own salary.

“Customers who paid like clockwork for 10-plus years are suddenly late,” he said. “I’m burning through all the cash I have.”

The AP interviewed Bernie Sanders this afternoon. I’m not certain I was ready to hear his words, but here is a portion of the interview (text, not video):

Sanders, who suspended his presidential bid last week, spoke at length about his decision to endorse Biden, his political future and the urgent need to unify the Democratic Party during an interview with The Associated Press. He railed against the Republican president but also offered pointed criticism at his own supporters who have so far resisted his vow to do whatever it takes to help Biden win the presidency.

He seemed to distance himself from his campaign’s former national press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, when asked about her recent statement on social media refusing to endorse Biden.

“She is my former press secretary — not on the payroll,” Sanders noted. A spokesman later clarified that all campaign staffers were no longer on the payroll as of Tuesday, though they will get a severance check in May. (note by me: that explains all of the farewells and exits seen on twitter today)

Sanders said his supporters have a simple choice now that Biden has emerged as the presumptive nominee: “Do we be as active as we can in electing Joe Biden and doing everything we can to move Joe and his campaign in a more progressive direction? Or do we choose to sit it out and allow the most dangerous president in modern American history to get reelected?”

He continued: “I believe that it’s irresponsible for anybody to say, ‘Well, I disagree with Joe Biden — I disagree with Joe Biden! — and therefore I’m not going to be involved.’”

Sanders said he would not actively campaign or spend money on advertising in the primary contests that are still on the calendar in the coming months. But he still encouraged Democrats in those states to vote for him, hoping to amass as many delegates as possible for leverage to shape the party platform and the direction of Biden’s campaign.

He also vowed to continue fighting for progressive priorities such as his signature “Medicare for All” as a senator, even though Biden has refused to embrace the government-backed single-payer health care system.

“If people want to vote for me, we’d appreciate it,” Sanders said of the roughly 20 primary contests that remain where his name will appear on the ballot. He later added, “I think you’re going to see significant movement on the part of the Biden campaign into a more progressive direction on a whole lot of issues.”

Sanders did not outline any specific plans to begin helping Biden in earnest, though he noted that he held dozens of rallies for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton four years ago and would be at least as active for Biden. In the short term, he said he’s essentially “incarcerated in his home” because of coronavirus social distancing guidelines and did not know when he would return to the campaign trail.

Sanders brushed away questions about why he was willing to back Biden so much sooner than he did Clinton, whom he waited until June to endorse. He said recent conversations with former President Barack Obama did not influence his decision. It came down to simple math, he said.

In 2016, Sanders said he had a mathematical path to the nomination all the way until the California primary, which was held on the last day of voting in June. That simply wasn’t the case this year.

“What would be the sense of staying in, of spending a whole lot of money, of attacking the vice president, giving fodder for Trump — what’s the sense of doing that when you can’t win?” he asked.

“I will do everything I can to help elect Joe,” Sanders continued. “We had a contentious campaign. We disagree on issues. But my job now is to not only rally my supporters, but to do everything I can to bring the party together to see that (Trump) is not elected president.”

Bernie, pls don’t give Biden nor the DNC my e-mail address. I have no appetite for someone who is deceptive.

More news, tweets, videos in the comments. This serves as an open thread.

Posted in grassroots, Justice Democrats | Tagged Bernie Sanders, Congress, Pramila Jayapal, Unemployment

Faiz & Pramilia: We Love You. But to be a Birdie in the nest: its US, not the Dem Party. And I’m Not Ready Yet for Him to Quit Campaigning for My Values.

The Progressive Wing Posted on April 4, 2020 by BennyApril 4, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread almost as fast as the bush fires that plagued Australia for months, I am reading snippets about the fear. Most of the blue governors, particularly those of CA, IL, NY, & WA taking the lead, are issuing stay-at-home for state residences the next month. They are listening to epidemiologists and public health experts. And likely, insurance companies. One wonders how much Ron DeSantis is listening to experts when he decided cities or counties could reopen the beaches just 24 hours after his stay at home order, and Colorado State University released its hurricane forecast. Prediction: above normal activity. Moreover:

BEFORE THE STORM — “South Florida hospitals cut back staff and work hours, await surge in coronavirus patients,” by Sun Sentinel’s Cindy Krischer Goodman: “In what may be an ironic Catch-22, South Florida hospitals are reducing staff hours, forcing paid time off or reducing pay while they await a predicted surge of coronavirus patients.”

(source: Politico)

This is the best part of America. But those governors would not have been quite as bold in the past. They would been passive-aggressive like Andrew Cuomo, who serves corporate masters, or Jerry Brown’s last term, in which he expressed no desire in warring with chemical companies. But thanks to Bernie Sanders and his “Not me. US” approach, they have chosen to be leaders, trying to put fingers in the dikes, and keep people employed, children instructed, and get more help to the frontlines. I predict that many states will consider measures to sidestep constitutional requirements to fiscal balance.

Bernie Sanders is trying to be one of the leaders in the Senate that is pushing for more unemployment insurance, free testing, free treatment (in next bill), moratorium on rent (which I see being extended to Small Businesses, which Bernie would favor), etc. Bernie’s presence in the Senate would not garner the media nor establishment’s notice if he were no longer in the race.

And this why, with due respect, if the WaPo is reporting accurately, you should re-embrace the grassroots and trust us. We aren’t rich but we will keep pushing, especially with the knowledge the campaign is putting forward about what negotiations are taking place, and also from experts in public health. We are solid ground with great soil. Bernie has done more to enrich it by bringing back the thematic vision that Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt held in partnership. In this crisis, Bernie may not appear as a happy warrior as FDR did during the Depression, but when I see a chess game set up on a real chessboard in the background of a recent virtual town hall on COVID-19 legislation, it says that Bernie is considering every move and how it impacts other moves. The moves may not be perfect, but do not discourage Bernie from continuing his campaign and raising the issues. The ideas resonate and all of us are calling our representatives, sending notes to Senators, etc, demanding action. This is exactly what Bernie does best: the organizer in chief.

The campaign should be saying: we’re on and will keep fighting for our universal goodness for the working masses and those who will possess greater needs in the near future. I would say that between now Father’s Day, there will be more bills to pass to fight this pandemic and the corruption that is so blatant. I’m happy to make a phone call. Meantime, this part of my post is aimed at Faiz: it’s time that Bernie rally his base and the indies again. Get him an interview on The Young Turks with Ana Kasparian. Go on Tim Black’s show, Kyle’s, Nomiki’s, Democracy Now, all of the shows that Way of the Bern, C99, and we watch.

Last bit of advice: make getting a debate with Biden a priority, in which both candidates have to appear remotely from their home studios and not in a hostile corporate studio like last time. Let the American people decide who is the leader for today and tomorrow. You can worry about the DNC later. The primary season has already been extended by the DNC.

This guy didn’t leave the struggle. You shouldn’t let him give up now, just as he didn’t give up for working-class people in the South Side of Chicago.


(credit: Tribune Archives via the DU)

Posted in 2020 Elections, Activism, grassroots, Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, The Movement | Tagged Bernie Sanders, DNC, Faiz Shakir, Jefferson Airplane, Pramila Jayapal, Presidential Debate, volunteers

3/24 Hell No DNC, Bernie’s Not Going to Drop Out; Sanders Campaign Hosting Another TH on COVID; Evening OT

The Progressive Wing Posted on March 24, 2020 by BennyMarch 24, 2020

NEWS: Bernie Sanders plans to participate in the debate in April if one is held, his campaign said, the strongest indication yet that he plans to continue competing against Joe Biden in the 2020 primary for the foreseeable future.

w @reidepsteinhttps://t.co/qvbzXWa3pi

— Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) March 24, 2020

Sweet irony here from Sirota tweeting a Wolf of Wall Street clip. 🤣 https://t.co/AahDwKw3Sk

— ☣️ Sheltered In Place ☣️ (@scatterblack) March 11, 2020

Lotsa stuff going on. At 7 CT, Bernie is hosting a COVID TH with Pramila Jayapal and public health experts, such as Abdul El-Sayed, and a few others. Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter, Sara Lee Guthrie, is the guest artist.

Bar is open to celebrate Bernie’s continued and much-needed presence to bring attention to issues. We practice physical distancing, not social distancing (unless one is a Shill) at our place. See you in the comments!

Posted in 2020 Elections, grassroots | Tagged Bernie Sanders, COVID-19, DNC Debates, Joe Biden, Pramila Jayapal

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