Thread by @NationalNurses

In just a few minutes, we’ll be starting our February #MedicareForAll National Strategy Call.

We’ll be live tweeting along, so stay tuned to
@NationalNurses!

There's still time to RSVP --> bit.ly/MFACallFeb2020

We’ve got a couple thousand people RSVP’d for tonight’s #MedicareForAll call!

If you’re already on the line, thanks for joining us! We’re going to give everyone a few minutes to join before we start, so just sit back and relax…

We're going to hear from some powerful speakers...

✊ CA Assemblymember @Ash_Kalra
✊ @justicedems Exec. Dir. @alexandrasiera
✊ @sunrisemvmt co-founder @wlawren90
✊ @MelindaPubCit, MFA Dir. at @Public_Citizen

You'll also hear our organizing strategy for 2020! LET'S GO!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen In February of last year, @RepJayapal introduced a brand new #MedicareForAll bill into the U.S. House: #HR1384.

This bill would transition all residents of our country to an expanded and improved Medicare system within 2 years.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal Following the introduction of #HR1384, activists in this campaign have been organizing in districts across the country!

🌟 150 barnstorms

🌟 1,500 canvasses

🌟 Tens of thousands of personal, one-on-one conversations about our broken system and the need for #MedicareForAll

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal During the August Recess, you all got to work across the country to dial up pressure on Dems who still hadn’t cosponsored #HR1384 -- and it worked!

We ended 2019 with 119 cosponsors, over half of all the Dems in the House and FOUR hearings on #MedicareForAll in just one year!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal As we get closer to winning #MedicareForAll, attacks from the for-profit industry have intensified.

@P4AHCF was formed by profitable/powerful hospital, pharmaceutical & insurance corporations.

👉Are YOU ready to join us in our campaign to take on this corporate front-group?👈

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF "We're here to make sure health care is a human right - not just a slogan.

We're bringing this movement to our communities!"

- Asm. @Ash_Kalra for #MedicareForAll

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF "As we're going through a presidential election cycle, we can't wait to get results to go forward.

We need to be talking to friends & neighbors about #MedicareForAll: when you take profit-making out of the industry, we can invest more in nurses & doctors, in preventative care."

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF "The amount of money that will come in to defeat #MedicareForAll will be enormous.

But money interests don't always win -- we have the people!"

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF "We're focused on issues that center and focus on the working class of this country. That includes #MedicareForAll.

We're elevating candidates that will be champions for universal health care. We're trying to get corporate health care out of the Dem Party."

- @alexandrasiera

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF "@AOC's victory shows we can surmount any machine. Her campaign was outspent 10-to-1.

It's about pushing progressive issues that match the scale, scope and urgency of the problems we're facing.

We have to have 1:1 conversations, share our stories about for-profit health care."

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Let’s switch gears now for a moment and talk a bit more about the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future, or @P4AHCF, and what lies ahead...

To be very clear, the fact that the industry has recognized the need for this front-group to exist, is recognition of our progress!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Thankfully, just a few months after the group came together, a series of planning documents were leaked to the media detailing the group’s objectives...

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Objective #1 reads: “change the national conversation around single payer/#MedicareForAll.”

Objective #2 reads: “Minimize the potential for this option in #healthcare from becoming part of a national political party’s platform in 2020.”

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC This front-group for corporate #healthcare has been busy...

🤑 Employed lobbyists in DC who’ve met with elected officials to convince them to use industry-written talking points.

🤑 Made sure that industry-aligned speakers make the rounds on national news networks.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC VERY busy...

🤑 They’ve been caught ghost-writing op-eds for elected officials to submit to major newspapers.

🤑 They’ve spent millions of dollars on mail as well as TV and Facebook ads attacking #MedicareForAll and candidates who support it.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC And crucially, corporations and figures associated with the Partnership have donated millions of dollars to congressional candidates.

It’s an unprecedented attack in the fight for #MedicareForAll, but it CAN. BE. BEATEN.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Just last week during the Iowa caucuses we saw from exit polling that Iowa Democrats overwhelmingly support replacing private insurance with a #MedicareForAll system! washingtonpost.com/politics/most-…

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC And this is after the Partnership accounted for more than HALF of all paid political advertisements in the state of Iowa over this past summer. Think about that!

And yet, their millions of dollars in lies and distortions have failed to substantially move the needle.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Tonight we are really excited to announce the first wave of our new campaign to take on corporate health care interests directly!

It's called the ❤️ #PatientsOverProfits Pledge ❤️ and we’re going to need your help to make sure our electeds sign it! --> patientsoverprofits.org

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC We know that this sort of tactic can be very effective.

Our allies in the climate movement (looking at you @sunrisemvmt) have led the way with the creation of the #NoFossilFuelMoney Pledge, which has garnered thousands of candidate and politician signers over the past few years.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC In this fight to pass #MedicareForAll, we will never be able to outspend the for-profit industry. But we can make the act of accepting their campaign contributions politically toxic.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC We are calling for a massive Week of Action!

Between now and April 6th, together with you and other activists across the country, we'll collect signatures from friends, family, neighbors, and community members, calling on our local elected officials to take the pledge!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC There are a ton of ways to gather petition signatures locally, but the best way to do this in a short amount of time is by organizing local petition gathering events from now until early April.

We’ll help you organize these and help recruit people to join you!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Then, the week of April 6th, through coordinated drop off actions across the country, we’ll all deliver these signatures to the office of our local elected officials, and ask that they sign the pledge.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Any elected official or candidate can sign the #PatientsOverProfits Pledge, but we’ll be focused on federal members of Congress in the U.S. House and Senate.

And to be clear - we mean we’re going after Democrats and Republicans. Anyone can and should sign this pledge.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC "The #GreenNewDeal includes a call for #MedicareForAll!

As people transition jobs into the new green economy, we want to make sure people are taken care of."

- @wlawren90, @sunrisemvmt Co-Founder

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC "The #NoFossilFuelMoney Pledge has been an effective campaign:

It's a powerful organizing tool, anyone can get involved.

Draws media attention to corrupting influence of #fossilfuel money in politics: politicians show their true colors.

Translated to shift in political power."

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC "The only reason we haven't been able to move on from our for-profit health care system to #MedicareForAll is because of the millions spent by health care corporations to prevent us from making progressive change."

- @MelindaPubCit, Campaign Director @Public_Citizen

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC "We've been passing #MedicareForAll resolutions in big cities, small towns - giving activists the power to mobilize their communities.

It's been a powerful organizing tool to drive a wedge between our local electeds and @P4AHCF."

https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1191799446935392258

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC To get involved, visit --> patientsoverprofits.org

Over the next two weeks we’ll be hosting a series of short training calls to go into further detail about becoming a local leader on the #PatientsOverProfits campaign.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC If at any point you have a question, would like advice, or are not sure which is the next step to take, you can either email us directly at 📩 [e-mail] 📩 or sign up for a 1:1 call with an organizer on our team.

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC This is only the first layer of our campaign to go directly after the Partnership.

We’re going to continue this work this year to grow our movement’s strength while also weakening these corporate interests & their ability to influence our democracy.

We’re just getting started..

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC Movements succeed when they speak to issues people care about & when they are able to mobilize enough people.

We still need to grow the # of people we can mobilize in order to win. Everyone on this call is at the core of this movement, so it’s up to us to rise to this challenge!

@Ash_Kalra @justicedems @alexandrasiera @sunrisemvmt @wlawren90 @MelindaPubCit @Public_Citizen @RepJayapal @P4AHCF @AOC That’s a wrap on tonight’s national strategy call, folks! Only one thing left to do, and that’s to remind each other:

🗣️ I
🗣️ BELIEVE
🗣️ THAT
🗣️ WE
🗣️ WILL
🗣️ WIN!