Nation’s largest union of registered nurses call for Democrats to pass Medicare for All

National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest union of registered nurses, emphasized that the midterm elections' stunning rebuke of the Trump administration's billionaire-backed agenda is a direct result of voters' anger over the cost of living, including the outrageous cost of health care. Nurses stressed that voters now expect Democrats to use the power they have been given to advance real, systemic change, and that means advancing Medicare for All.

"We live in the wealthiest country on earth, and there is no reason in 2026 and beyond that our patients should continue trying to decide between paying for lifesaving medical care or filling up their gas tank," said NNU President Jamie Brown, RN. "The anger about having to make such agonizing choices is what handed control of the House and the Senate to Democrats, and now it's time for those who won their elections to deliver meaningful change for the voters who have put them in office. It's time to advance Medicare for All."

Exit polls showed that 60 percent of all voters and 78 percent of Democrats think the federal government should play a bigger role in helping people obtain health care. Health care was the number two topic across all ads for the entire election cycle, which illustrates how deeply health care reform was an animating issue for voters. With impending health care cuts from the Republican 2025 budget bill, H.R. 1, set to take effect in January, and with premiums already rising for millions of people in the U.S., the country's health care crisis has never been worse, and it's time for Congress to take bold action to save lives.

Looking ahead to 2027, lead House sponsor Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has called for a full markup of the Medicare for All bill, and nurses echo her demand. Nurses will join the National Coalition for Medicare for All for a post-election strategy call on Tuesday, Nov. 17 to discuss exactly how to harness the current momentum into a forceful push for Medicare for All in the new Congress. The call will unveil plans, give supporters across the country an opportunity to plug in, and feature guest speakers.

To attend the National Coalition for Medicare for All call, RSVP here.

"Nurses know there is no better policy solution to save lives and improve health outcomes than Medicare for All," said Brown, RN. "No other solution guarantees care to all of our patients, addresses the root problems of our broken system, and saves money while doing it. Nurses were not surprised to see candidates rise to power, even in tough swing state races, because they backed Medicare for All."

The NNU-endorsed candidates in swing states, for whom Medicare for All was a winning issue, include U.S. Senators-elect Abdul El-Sayed (MI), Troy Jackson (ME), and Peggy Flanagan (MN). U.S. Representatives-elect who won on Medicare for All in swing districts include: Randy Villegas (CA-22), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Will Lawrence (MI-07), Matt Little (MN-02), and Mike McGuire (CA-01). Medicare for All also saw big wins in districts that normally go blue, including for U.S. Senator-elect Juliana Stratton (IL), as well as U.S. Representatives-elect Claire Valdez (NY-07), Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13), Brad Lander (NY-10), Donavan McKinney (MI-13), Melat Kiros (CO-01), Daniel Biss (IL-09), Patty Garcia (IL-04), and Dr. Adam Hamawy (NJ-12).

"Nurses are advancing our Vision for a Healthy Society, where everyone has what they need to live a good life, and Medicare for All is central to that healthy future," said Brown, RN. "Nurses and our allies will continue to hold elected Democrats accountable to the will of the people, and that means getting Medicare for All across the finish line, before one more patient suffers extreme financial hardship just because they got sick, and before one more life is lost."

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.