Portland, OR – The Mad As Hell Doctors, local physicians, nurses, and activists plan to take their message to the streets at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland on Thursday February 25 at 5:00PM in response to the President’s health care summit on the same day.  They are disappointed with the President’s new health care proposal and the exclusion of the Single Payer health care model in Congressional debate.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama said, “But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. Let me know. Let me know. I’m eager to see it.”

The planned sidewalk summit is aimed at bringing local physicians, nurses, and activists together to inform the public about Medicare for All, Single Payer.  It is also a way to counteract what many believe will be a staged event at the White House summit earlier on Thursday.

Mike Huntington, a Corvallis Radiation Oncologist and member of Mad As Hell Doctors, was very disappointed with the President’s health care proposal posted online Monday.  “The major deficits of the House and Senate bills still persist,” he said, noting the “dubious quality” of mandated health insurance and “ransom to the pharmaceutical industry” taxpayers would be forced to pay.  “It doesn’t even mention a system to seriously reduce costs,” Huntington said.

“The president’s proposal is further evidence of the strangle-hold on Congress of insurance and pharmaceutical corporate greed. The president and Congress should be ashamed of thwarting the wishes of the vast majority of the American people, physicians and other health care providers,” said Bill Whitaker, a retired social worker and member of the Mad As Hell Doctors.

In September 2009, the Mad As Hell Doctors traveled from Portland, OR to Washington DC.  They went to 46 venues in 30 towns and through 15 states, raising awareness for the need for Single Payer National Health Care.