Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Progressive Star, Rallies With Nurses in SF
Michigan Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday with a message for California’s largest nurses union:
“When they say we can have guaranteed healthcare through Medicare for All, we won’t back down,” El-Sayed shouted from the stage at a convention of the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United in San Francisco.
The up-and-coming progressive icon is locked in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, one that will help determine which party controls the chamber following the midterm elections. El-Sayed is also tapping into his rising political profile to rally for progressive causes in California.
Both El-Sayed and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who appeared at the convention virtually, made the case for Medicare for All in a packed ballroom of unionized nurses. Attendees jumped to their feet when Sanders appeared on screen and again to cheer for El-Sayed, who wore a denim jacket embroidered with the nurses union’s red logos.
“Bernie Sanders and our union, our organization, go way back,” said Cathy Kennedy, a retired nurse and president of National Nurses United. “So, the values that we have as nurses, our vision for a healthy society, Sen. Sanders has been in the forefront of that.”
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former public health official, is also pushing for a single-payer healthcare system as a main pillar of his political platform.
“They are the values of this organization … Medicare for All, because it is a human right, not just for the privileged,” Kennedy said.
The California Nurses Association has long pushed for a single-payer healthcare system in California, though multiple legislative attempts in Sacramento have fallen short. The organization is backing candidates for federal office who share their vision as healthcare providers grapple with increased workloads and a rapidly growing cost of living.
The union is also calling for stronger regulations around the use of artificial intelligence tools for staffing, scheduling and data collection in the healthcare delivery system.
It’s a goal El-Sayed shares — throughout his campaign, he has joined the chorus of progressives calling for stricter AI regulations. He repeated his call to action during his visit to the global tech capital.
“We’re going to take on Big Tech,” El-Sayed told the nurses in San Francisco. “Your AI should not be able to deny somebody their healthcare. Your AI shouldn’t be automating out critical care workers in our hospitals and our clinics.”
El-Sayed declined to weigh in on Proposition 40, the one-time wealth tax on billionaires that Californians will vote on this fall, with much of the revenue earmarked for healthcare.
“I think it’s important for folks across states to be thinking about how they solve the problem locally, but I’m running for federal office. At the federal level, we need a wealth tax,” El-Sayed told reporters.
Meanwhile, Sanders has thrown his progressive stardom behind the controversial wealth tax that’s divided the state’s Democrats and organized labor groups. The Vermont senator embarks on a California tour this week where he’s scheduled to rally in support of Proposition 40 in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
He’ll also appear alongside Democrat Randy Villegas, who is running to flip a U.S. House district in Bakersfield; Democratic Rep. Aisha Wahab of the East Bay, who is running for a full term in the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell; and Jane Kim, who’s running for California insurance commissioner against a fellow Democrat.