The following statement is from Sal Rosselli, a San Francisco resident and president emeritus of the National Union of Health Care Workers (NUHW), which represents 19,000 healthcare workers and was a co-sponsor of SB 770.
Scott Wiener wrote and passed landmark legislation to advance single-payer healthcare in California, a giant leap forward in our fight for quality and affordable care for everyone. He did so by building a broad coalition of healthcare reform advocates, including providers, cost control experts, and labor unions. State Sen. Wiener has been a fearless advocate for health care as a human right and, like his counterparts in Oregon and Washington State, has advanced this cause further than ever. His bill, SB 770, is the foundation upon which we will build Medicare for All in California.
We have worked with Supervisor Connie Chan in the past and respect her, but her attacks on State Sen. Wiener, and by implication on Governor Newsom, in a recent Gazetter story are counterproductive to building the political momentum we need to succeed. Unlike State Sen. Wiener, she has not been a leader in this fight. His bill created a way to access federal dollars, which is necessary to make Medicare for All possible in California. That policy understanding and the ability to legislate successfully are what make State Sen. Wiener stand out on this issue.
