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Redirect War funding to H.R. 676	means	Illegal Alliens	get	Universal Healthcare for All

Transcript from CNN here. Titled  Healthcare for Illegal Aliens

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The group Progressive Democrats of America wants to end the Iraq war and plow the war funding into setting up a system of universal health care.

TIM CARPENTER, PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA: We believe in health care for all. We make it very clear Progressive Democrats of America our goal fundamentally is to make sure that all of us have health care, all of us within the U.S. borders have health care.

SYLVESTER: And by all in U.S. borders, he says that includes everyone in the United States, including upwards of 12 million illegal aliens. The group is urging the Democratic Party to adopt a plank at the party's convention in Denver, guaranteeing accessible health care for all.

Congressman John Conyers from Michigan, a leading pro amnesty advocate in Congress, is the first top Democratic delegate to sign up for the Progressive Democrat's platform on universal health care. Critics charge that offering health care to millions of illegal aliens will encourage even more illegal immigration and is an attack on the concept of U.S. citizenship.

SYLVESTER: And this is not the first time that top Democrats in Congress have tried to give health care to illegal aliens. Last year, Democratic leaders tried and failed to expand a state insurance program to give taxpayer funded health care to illegal aliens -- Lou.

DOBBS: I mean this is utterly and completely outrageous and we should point out we're not talking about 12 million illegal aliens. No one knows the exact number. But that range is from 12 to 20 million illegal aliens in this country. And of the 47 million estimated people in this country without health care that represents just about 40 percent of the total.

SYLVESTER: It is a very large group, about 47 million who are believed to be illegal aliens and you're absolutely right. They use that number, 12 million. But it is more likely to be closer to 20 million, perhaps even more illegal aliens than that. So you could see this is -- this is certainly a budget-buster at the very least, Lou.

DOBBS: And part of the issue that we should be very clear about, here, is they talk about health care in this country, and it is a critically important issue, without question. In no way am I minimizing the import of making health care available to every American, but of that 47 million, as we said, about 40 percent could well be illegal aliens, another huge number there are the number of young people who do not have health care insurance as a result.

We're talking about a much smaller number than the first blush of that 47 million might appear. Lisa, thank you very much. Lisa Sylvester. It is -- it's got to strike -- I'll just speak for myself, I mean, it is unbelievable that any elected representative of the people would provide that level of benefit to citizens -- to people who are not even citizens of this country. We've reached a new level of absurdity and outrageousness in this country.

Please Consider Signing the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Petition -- Non-delegates (to National Democratic Convention) go on record in support of the statement, here. 

From the Progressive Democrats of America website here.

Launch of Grassroots Statement by Delegates For Platform to Guarantee "Health Care for All"

July 24, 2008, Washington, DC

Rep. John Conyers, a leader for health care reform on Capitol Hill, is the first Democratic National Convention delegate to sign a new statement urging that the convention adopt a plank in the 2008 party platform to "guarantee accessible health care for all."

Launched by Progressive Democrats of America, the grassroots statement aims to gather hundreds of signers among delegates to the party's national convention before it opens in Denver in late August.

The brief document--titled "Statement in Support of Guaranteed Health Care for All as a Plank in the Democratic Party Platform of 2008"--was drafted by two co-chairs of PDA's Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign, Congressman Conyers and Norman Solomon. Both are Obama delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Also signing the statement prior to its national launch on July 23 was Rep. Jim McGovern, a Clinton delegate and PDA board member.

Now, a grassroots effort is starting among activists nationwide to contact and encourage convention delegates to add their names as signers. Delegates can do that online here. 

Non-delegates are also invited to go on record in support of the statement, here. 

The statement calls for the 2008 Democratic Party Platform to include "a plank calling for our nation to enact universal health care that will":

• "guarantee accessible health care for all"; 
• "create a single standard of high quality, comprehensive, and preventive health care for all";
• "allow freedom of choice of physician, hospital, and other health care providers";
• "eliminate financial barriers that prevent families and individuals from obtaining the medically necessary care they need"; 
• "allow physicians, nurses and other licenced health care providers to make health care decisions based on what is best for the health of the patient."

PDA is encouraging activists--wherever they live--to contact delegates from their area and urge them to become signers of this statement here.