For over thirty-seven years, Rep. John Conyers has been one of the most vocal advocates for universal health care in the United States Congress. He has introduced two critically important pieces of legislation, the "United States National Health Insurance Act," H.R. 676, which has the support of over 9000 physicians; and H. Con. Res. 99; which calls on Congress to pass universal health legislation by 2005.

Both bills have served as critically important organizing tools for hundreds of organizations across the country who are part of a newly energized national movement for universal health care. Through Rep. Conyers' leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus has declared universal health care its number one legislative priority of the 108^th Congress, and has launched a campaign for universal health care and the elimination of minority health disparities.

Mr. Conyers was also instrumental in shaping the House Democratic alternative Medicare prescription drug proposal that was defeated by the Republican-dominated House. Working through the Congressional Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus, Mr. Conyers helped to persuade ranking Democratic House leaders to introduce legislation that would provide seniors with an effective prescription drug coverage under the traditional Medicare program that would truly help seniors afford the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs by covering 80% of their prescription drug bills.

Rep. Conyers has helped secure approximately 10 million dollars of federal funds for the Detroit Medical Center over the last three years. These funds went to strengthen health care services at Detroit Medical Center for pregnant women, the disabled, children, veterans, and the uninsured.

Mr. Conyers recently lead efforts to get desperately needed federal funds to keep the Detroit Medical Center from closing their doors. He facilitated several meetings with DMC officials, Secretary of Health & Human Services Tommy Thompson's office, senior lobbyists of the Bush Administration, Governor Granholm, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and Detroit City Council Members in order to find common ground, federal funding, and a workable long term solution to the Detroit Hospital crisis.

Through these meetings, Rep. Conyers provided the necessary leadership and awareness of the severity of the DMC hospital crisis, that ultimately help pave the way for a short term infusion of federal funds government and Governor Granholm.

Rep. Conyers has been an outspoken supporter of improving the working conditions for nurses. Most nurses are often forced to work unreasonably long hours, and are in charge of too many patients, as cash strapped hospitals claim to be unable to hire more nurses.

Studies by the Institute of Medicine have revealed that unreasonable nursing shortages, mandatory over-time, and low nurse to patient ratios have created a national shortage of nurses because the profession is no longer viewed as an attractive one to go into.

Rep. Conyers has been an original co-sponsor of legislation to improve working conditions for nurses, including the Nursing Reinvestment Act, legislation that would allow those interested in becoming nurses to receive more scholarships and low interest nursing school loans, and legislation introduced by Senator Kennedy that would ban mandatory over time for nurses.