Hundreds of members of the California Nurses Association, the labor-based Campaign for a Healthy California, and supporters mobilized in the state Capital on short notice June 28, a weekday, to protest Democrat Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s surprise move to derail SB 562, a single-payer bill previously approved by the state Senate.

Rendon announced his decision late Friday afternoon, June 23, in an obvious effort to block the Assembly from taking up the bill during its current session, exercising its normal legislative function that would include amending the bill as needed.

Rendon released the following statement to justify his action:

“Yesterday, Republicans in the U.S. Senate released a cynical plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, posing a real and immediate threat to millions of Californians who only have health coverage because of the ACA. “Preparing California to meet this threat must be the top health care priority for the Legislature, Governor Brown, and organizations that advocate for increasing access to health care. “As someone who has long been a supporter of single payer, I am encouraged by the conversation begun by Senate Bill 562. “However, SB 562 was sent to the Assembly woefully incomplete. Even senators who voted for SB 562 noted there are potentially fatal flaws in the bill, including the fact it does not address many serious issues, such as financing, delivery of care, cost controls, or the realities of needed action by the Trump Administration and voters to make SB 562 a genuine piece of legislation. “In light of this, I have decided SB 562 will remain in the Assembly Rules Committee until further notice.”

CNA response

Deborah Burger, RN, co-president of the CNA, immediately issued a blistering response:

“The California Nurses Association condemns the decision by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to destroy the aspirations of millions of Californians for guaranteed health care without being bankrupted or forced to skip needed care. “Announcing this decision at 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon is a cowardly act, developed in secret without engaging the thousands of Californians who have rallied to enact real health care reform. “Speaker Rendon’s decision is especially ironic given the pending action by the U.S. Senate to withdraw health coverage for millions of Americans, including Californians, and drastically increase costs for tens of millions more of the most ill among us. “Acting in secret in the interests of the profiteering insurance companies late Friday afternoon abandons all those people already threatened by Congress and the Trump administration. “The people of California are counting on the legislature to protect them now, not sometime next year, and as polls have shown Californians support this proposal by a wide majority. A solution to this health care emergency could be at hand; Speaker Rendon is standing in opposition. “Thousands of Californians have been in motion for guaranteed health care. They are not finished.”

Participants in the protest streamed into Sacramento by car pool and bus from around northern California and beyond. More than a dozen members of the Santa Clara County Single Payer Coalition, comprised of multiple Silicon Valley groups, carpooled to the demonstration. We gathered initially on the south steps of the Capitol for a nutritious box lunch provided by the CNA followed by a short but spirited rally, where Speaker Rendon was further excoriated and plans for the demonstration were laid out.

In addition, a representative of a consulting firm explained how single-payer health care would benefit small, medium and large businesses compared to the Affordable Care Act. Very true. However, she neglected to point out that businesses in general prefer not to pay any taxes (or insurance premiums) at all to support health care, thereby boosting their profits—which is why Trump and the Republicans are trying to “repeal and replace” the ACA. And why they, along with the corporate Dems, are not supporting single-payer.

Occupying the Capitol

Following the initial rally, we broke into groups to enter the Capitol through different entrances, carrying signs with personal messages explaining why we individually support an expanded Medicare For All. Getting inside took some time, since everyone had to go through screening before being allowed to enter.

Once inside, we filled the rotunda, both the first floor and the balcony above, chanting non-stop. Among the popular chants were: “Medicare for all is our fight, health care is a human right”; “Hey, hey Donald J, how many kids did you kill today?”; “Stop the delay, we won’t go away”; “Rendon, Rendon, shame on you, action now on 562”; and “People before profits.”

Several demonstrators circled the rotunda with a large banner that read: “Speaker Rendon, Inaction = Death, #SB562 Now!”

Next, the crowd moved to Gov. Jerry Brown’s office, heavily guarded by state troopers, where we continued to loudly chant. Kathy Romer, CNA Executive Board member, and a teacher addressed the crowd. The teacher gave a heartfelt explanation why Medicare For All is urgently needed for children, based on her personal experience in the classroom.

One protester held up a sign reading: “In the last seven years Anthony Rendon, Governor Brown and [Democratic state Senator] Kevin DeLeon have received over $3.5 million from organizations opposing single paper,” citing Follow the Money.org.

Neither Gov. Brown, who has so far refused to endorse SB 562, or Assembly Speaker Rendon made an appearance to dialog with the protesters. No doubt they got the message anyway, loud and clear. A reviving workers’ movement, led by the fast-growing CNA, a militant union increasingly playing a vanguard role in California politics, will not give up the fight for single-payer health care.

Video clip of demonstration in the Capitol rotunda.