Just wanted to share this bit of solidarity from our Aussie friends:
The Australian Senate has passed Australian Greens' Leader Bob Brown's motion that:
The Senate
Notes efforts by US President Barack Obama and his administration to ensure all US citizens have access to affordable health care.
Commends this course as one Australia has long since undertaken with success and sends assurance to our trans-Pacific neighbours that since this nation adopted universal health care in 1984:
a. life expectancy for males has increased from 72.6 to 79.1 years and for females 78.7 to 83.5 years.
b. spending on health care has increased from 3.5% of federal government outlays to 4.4% (in 2008-2009).
c. lives have been saved and suffering reduced in our nation.
"The Australian experience is one all Americans should know about. All political parties, including the most conservative, support our universal health care system-and it's less expensive than the existing US system, which leaves millions without guaranteed care," Senator Brown said.
"I hope this Senate motion assists President Obama's worthy campaign."
Seems to me that this is a challenge -- will the US Senate leadership meet it?