DENTON, Texas — The City of Denton passed a resolution Wednesday in favor of Medicare for All, becoming the 100th local government nationwide to endorse the system at a federal level.
Denton's resolution comes days after after the reintroduction of the Medicare for All Act by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Denton joins a list of city and county governments that have passed resolutions in support of Medicare for All which includes New Orleans, La.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Cook County, Ill.; South Bend, Ind.; New Haven, Conn. and Sacramento, Calif..
“I want to congratulate Public Citizen, and all those involved, on the passage of the 100th local government resolution in support of Medicare for All,” Sanders said in a news release.
Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization.
“At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over one million American lives and one-third of these deaths have been linked to a lack of health insurance, the need to guarantee health care to all as a right through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system has never been more apparent," Sanders said. "The way we will pass Medicare for All is by continuing to build a strong grassroots movement that is prepared to take on the big money interests and end the greed of the private health insurance companies and pharmaceutical industry. Thank you for your excellent work.”
Denton councilmember Alison Maguire said that a system that treats healthcare like a right, not a commodity, would improve health outcomes for the community, ease financial burdens on working- and middle-class residents, and cut as much as $23,462,000 from the City of Denton's annual budget for employee benefits, saving local taxpayers money.
"In light of all that, I wholeheartedly agree that it's appropriate for the Denton City Council to voice our support for Medicare for All at the Federal level," Maguire said.
Alexander Moon, a local bar manager, spoke about how the cost of insurance impacts students, musicians and artists who work part-time service industry jobs in Denton.
"No one should have their life compromised because of the unaffordability of treatment, preventive or not, in a society where treatment is available,” Moon said.
Denton became the first municipality in Texas to pass a resolution in favor of Medicare for All, according to Public Citizen.
