BYNUM AND JAYAPAL TOUT MEDICARE FOR ALL AT PORTLAND TOWN HALL

Clackamas, OR – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal held a joint town hall in Portland to talk about Medicare for All. They discussed the rising cost of health insurance, recent cuts to federal healthcare spending, and their work to make sure every American can access high-quality care. Rep. Jayapal leads the Medicare for All Act in the House, and Rep. Bynum is a cosponsor of the legislation.

“The system does not make sense to me,” Rep. Bynum said. “As a mother of four who’s had to take their kids to the hospital and like so many Oregonians, I’m tired of the lip service we get from Washington on healthcare. We have to turn the whole system on its head. There’s something fundamentally wrong with a system where the institutions who control access to healthcare can thrive while the people who actually need the healthcare are scared to use it. That is why I’m proud to cosponsor Medicare for All. We’ve had enough.” 

"It is criminal that in the richest country in the world, people are sick and dying because they cannot afford the care they need,” said Rep. Jayapal. “At a moment when Trump and Republicans have slashed healthcare funding, and one in four people in this country face a medical debt of over $1,000, it is clear we cannot continue to tinker around the edges of the sick care system we currently have. That is why I'm proud to lead the Medicare for All Act, to reimagine a system where every single person has coverage from the day they're born 'til the day they die, and I am thrilled today to welcome Congresswoman Bynum as a cosponsor."

Background

Republicans slashed $1 billion in federal healthcare spending under their “One Big Beautiful Bill” which Congresswoman Bynum strongly opposed. Because of these spending cuts, roughly 7.5 million Americans will lose health insurance coverage, including nearly 200,000 Oregonians. Under this bill, 28,000 people in Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District will experience skyrocketing healthcare costs due to the Republicans' decision to end Affordable Care tax credits. The Medicare for All Act ensures every American can access high quality healthcare and restores access from these harmful cuts.

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