Jayapal, Dingell, CPC Members Host Universal Healthcare Shadow Hearing

Full video of the hearing can be watched HERE.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) today hosted a shadow hearing on Medicare for All, led by Chair Emerita Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), the lead sponsors of the Medicare for All Act of 2025. During the hearing, CPC Members and witnesses discussed the transformative change that Medicare for All would bring to the U.S. healthcare system.

"We do not suffer from scarcity in this country; we suffer from greed - the greed of Big Insurance corporations that rake in billions while denying care, and the greed of Big Pharma that jacks up prices, leaving people with impossible choices," said Jayapal. "Medicare for All is the path to fix the broken healthcare system that has let corporate interests determine who lives and dies. The reality is that Medicare for All is the only solution that guarantees care for everyone in the U.S., brings down costs for working families, and generates savings for the country. I thank everyone who came out for this hearing today to continue building the momentum for this necessary legislation."

"Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. Millions of American families still face impossible choices between filling a prescription and putting food on the table, or being forced into financial ruin over an unexpected medical diagnosis. I am proud to continue this fight alongside Congresswoman Jayapal," said Congresswoman Dingell.

"Passing Medicare for All is one of the top priorities of the Progressive Caucus," said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX-35). "It is the best way to make sure no American ever has to check their bank account before going to the doctor. I am grateful to Rep. Jayapal and Rep. Dingell for leading this fight and for convening today's important hearing."

"As a long-practicing gynecologic oncologist, I've seen how broken our health care system truly is-and how Republican cuts have made this ongoing crisis even worse. Returning to the pre-Trump status quo will not solve our deep-rooted problems, and neither will reforms that enrich corporate profiteers in return for a sliver of what my patients truly need. Only Medicare for All would cut out profit-hungry investors, eliminate dangerous conflicts of interest, and empower me and my colleagues to provide high-quality, trustworthy care for every single person living in the U.S," said Dr. Diljeet Singh, President, Physicians for a National Health Program.

"As bedside nurses, we see every day how Americans are suffering needlessly from a for-profit health care system," said Jamie Brown, RN and NNU President. "The failure to pass visionary policies that center care and health for working people, in order to favor billionaire and corporate profit, is a stain on our country's morality. Elected officials can do what is both necessary and popular and deliver to their constituents a guaranteed health care system with Medicare for All."

"As today's hearing showed, now is the time to fight for Medicare for All. Americans are struggling every day to get the care they need and Republicans in Congress and the White House are making it worse through draconian cuts to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Medicare for All would finally guarantee that everyone in the U.S. can get the care they need when they need it. We call on all members of Congress to join Reps. Jayapal and Dingell and the rapidly growing movement fighting for the passage of Medicare for All," said Eagan Kemp, Health Care Policy Advocate, Public Citizen.

"I came to DC from Chicago to testify in Congress because I'm furious that in the richest country in the history of the world, we have to constantly fight the system for dignified health care that we all deserve. Meanwhile, giant corporations like UnitedHealth Care play life and death games and get rich off our suffering. I'm furious that every day members of the community and people across the country are forced to choose between paying for medicine or buying food," said Chela Garcia, member-leader and volunteer organizer, the People's Lobby Education Institute & People's Action Institute. "Medicare for All is not a radical dream - it is a moral baseline."

Medicare for All would expand the Medicare program to provide comprehensive health care to every American with no premiums, no co-payments, and no deductibles. It would also expand Medicare to include dental, hearing, and vision care, and it would give every American the freedom to choose their doctors without interference from insurance companies. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Medicare for All would save the American healthcare system $650 billion a year. Researchers at Yale University have also estimated that the legislation would save 68,000 lives a year.

The hearing was also attended by Representatives Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Grace Meng (NY-06), Emily Randall (WA-06), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

Issues: Health Care