21k+ demand CT Gov. Malloy reject Cigna-Anthem merger or resign from Democratic Platform Committee

This morning, ahead of the group’s meeting in Orlando, FL, Democracy for America (DFA) delivered a petition signed by 21,543 Democrats in Connecticut and across the country calling on Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy to reject the dangerous merger of Anthem and Cigna or immediately resign from his position chairing the 2016 Democratic Platform Committee.

Over the last six weeks, Malloy has come under increasing public scrutiny over his involvement in the approval of a mega-merger of health insurance giants Anthem and  Cigna, despite the fact that the deal would have a devastating impact on working families.  

DFA holds that Malloy’s involvement in the corrupt health insurance merger and his role as chair of the platform committee could seriously damage the credibility of Democrats as steadfast champions of affordable healthcare for all Americans.  

If helpful, here’s a statement from DFA Chair (and Connecticut resident) Jim Dean on the grassroots group’s objection to Malloy’s support for the merger and chairmanship of the platform committee:

“From presidents on down, affordable healthcare for all Americans has been a bedrock principle of the Democratic Party platform and a core value of all its campaigns. The corrupt Cigna-Anthem merger will raise the cost of healthcare for all Americans by eliminating competition in the health insurance marketplace.

“Democracy for America, activists, and journalists all over the country are demanding that Governor Malloy stand with working families against the corrupt and dangerous merger of Cigna and Anthem or resign his position as Co-Chair of the Democratic Platform Committee.

“Democratic leadership in Connecticut and around the country can no longer have it both ways. Our party deserves to know if our leaders, like Gov. Malloy, are going to stand the Wall Street interests who want to choke off competition in the health insurance industry or the working families who will be harmed by their pursuit of profit at any cost.

“We know where we stand, and whether he decides to respond to our petition or not, Gov. Malloy should know we intend to fight on this issue all the way through the Convention and beyond until this corrupt merger is dead and buried." -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America.

The full text of the petition, which is also available at http://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/malloy_cigna_merger/, reads:

Gov. Malloy must choose between serving the insurance industry and leading the Democratic Party

It's hard to take the Democratic Party's stance on affordable health care seriously when prominent members of its leadership are using their elected offices to help the insurance industry profit at the expense of consumers.

If Gov. Malloy won't stand up to the insurance industry by turning against the Cigna-Anthem merger, he needs to step down from the  Platform Committee immediately.

The petition was electronically delivered both to Gov. Malloy’s official office and select members of the Democratic Platform Committee ahead of the group’s formal meeting in Orlando, FL this weekend.

DFA is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with 18,816 members in Connecticut and one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism.  

During the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, DFA endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders and the organization's members have contributed more than $1.8 million directly to his presidential campaign.