GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614,
mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org

Democrats’ health care reform plans are designed to satisfy corporate
backers, not solve the health care crisis, say Greens

• Green candidates call Single-Payer/Medicare For All the only plan to
help working Americans who need care most

• Corporate campaign money and sponsorship of Dem and GOP conventions
will banish real health care and campaign finance reform, say Greens

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders and candidates said today that
the health care reform plans offered by Democratic candidates Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton are designed to benefit insurance and
pharmaceutical corporations — including contributors to their own
campaigns — rather than American people who need coverage and
treatment.

The Green Party and its candidates strongly support the Single-Payer
national health care plan, also called Medicare For All
(http://www.gp.org/organize/sicko.html).

«Anyone who believes that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will offer
real reform in the next administration has been misled by the
Democratic Party leadership and their shills in the media. Ms.
Clinton and Mr. Obama are among the highest recipients of money from
insurance firms, HMOs, and drug manufacturers [source: Center for
Responsive Politics, http://www.opensecrets.org],» said Jody Grage,
treasurer of the Green Party of the United States.

«Except for a handful who are marginalized by their own party, most
Democratic candidates are running to prevent real health care reform.
They intend to keep control over our health care in the hands of
corporate insurance firms and HMOs who make their profits by denying
treatment. That’s why over 45 million Americans don’t have health
coverage and millions more can’t get the treatment they need even
though they have insurance,» said Ms. Grage.

Ms. Clinton’s $110-billion-per-year ‘mandatory coverage’ plan would
offer a gigantic subsidy for the HMO-insurance industry, while
shifting the burden — and the blame for lack of coverage — onto
people who desperately need health care. Mr. Obama rejects the
Single-Payer option and has promised that his plan would sustain the
HMO and insurance industry.

Greens noted that the 2008 Democratic and Republican national
conventions will be funded by numerous corporate sponsors seeking
favors from the next White House and Congress («DNC sponsorships raise
questions on motivations,» Rocky Mountain News, March 12, 2008,
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/12/dnc-sponsorships-raise-questions-on-motivations/).

The Green Party, which accepts no corporate contributions, will hold
its national convention in Chicago, July 10-13
(http://www.greenparty2008.org). The candidates for the Green
presidential nomination — Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent
Mesplay, and Kat Swift — all support Single-Payer.

«There’s no incentive for either Democrats or Republicans to pursue
real campaign finance reform and get corporate money out of politics
and public policy, because they both benefit from the current system.
The only way to shock the system and get real reform is by voting for
Greens, giving a noncorporate party seats in Congress and state
legislatures, and showing the Democrats that they can’t take their
seats for granted,» said Bob Kinsey, Colorado Green candidate for the
US Senate (http://www.kinseyforsenate.org).

«Greens are the only party with the solution for the health care
crisis. Democrats and Republicans have nothing to offer when it comes
to health care, except more denial of treatment, more financial ruin
for working Americans who suffer a serious emergency, and big bucks
for corporate cronies,» Mr. Kinsey added.

The Single-Payer/Medicare For All would guarantee every American
health care regardless of age, income, employment, or prior medical
condition; allow choice of health care provider; provide low-cost or
no-cost treatment and prescriptions (including complementary and
alternative medicine); and cost low- and middle-income Americans far
less than they now pay for private or employer-based coverage by
eliminating insurance and HMO company overhead. To contact Green
health care leaders in the Green Party Speakers Bureau, visit
(http://gp.org/speakers/healthcare.shtml).

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• 2008 Green National Convention: Live Green, Vote Green
http://www.greenparty2008.org
• Media credentialing http://www.gp.org/forms/media
• Video of Green presidential candidates
http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/presidential-videos.php
• Links to Green Presidential Candidates’ web sites
http://www.gp.org/committees/pcsc/index.shtml
• Green candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information:
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections

Green Party news releases:
• «Greens call Sen. Clinton’s health care mandate proposal a
‘fraudulent, cynical, cruel’ affront to Americans who need coverage» (
September 24, 2007)
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_09_24.shtml
• «Clinton and Democrats are Obstacles to Real Health Care Reform»
(February 26, 2007)
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_02_26.shtml

«Seeking Coverage For All»
By John R. Battista and Justine McCabe (Green Party members), The
Hartford Courant, October 31, 2006
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2006/november/seeking_coverage_for.php

Physicians for a National Health Program
http://www.pnhp.org