Cook County Board Of Commissioners Passes Resolution In Support Of HR 1384
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emailOn June 27, 2019, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 19-3838, RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 1384, the Medicare for All Act of 2019.
Originally introduced by 1st District Commissioner Brandon Johnson, the resolution garnered 15 sponsors from among 17 commissioners, and was spproved unanimously by the 16 commissioners present at the meeting.
Johnson is a former public school teacher and a first term commissioner whose platform included "I will work to ensure that healthcare is not a privilege but a right."
Sheilah Garland, organizer for National Nurses United (NNU), spoke in favor of the resolution during the public comment period, detailing some of the commissioners' support.
Consuelo Vargas, member of NNU and an emergency department (ED) nurse at a safety net hospital, also spoke during the public comment period, about patients who come to the ED for medication refills, dental pain, medical supplies, cholesterol levels, mammograms, and other primary care issues, because they have no health insurance, owe medical debt, or can't afford their deductibles and co-pays.
The commissioners passed the resolution with no further discussion.
You can watch the video of the meeting at the above link; testimony in support of Resolution 19-1838 is at minutes 8:19 and 15:15.
Among Illinois legislative bodies, the Chicago City Council (2007), the Illinois House (2009), and the Thomson Illinois Village Board (2017) have previously passed resolutions in support of Medicare for all.