Vermont's U.S. Senate delegation today joined several prominent colleagues in introducing legislation aimed at boosting Americans' access to primary healthcare, as well as expanding existing federal healthcare programs.  

The bill, called Access for All Americans Act, is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). The legislation seeks to provide all citizens with primary healthcare, tackle a shortage of primary care physicians by encouraging students to enter the healthcare field, and expand a Federally Qualified Health Centers program, which would boost services to low-income and uninsured citizens.  

"Among many other serious problems, 56 million Americans lack adequate access to basic medical care, dental care, and low-cost prescription drugs," Sanders, the legislation's chief sponsor, said in a statement today. "The Access for All America Act would expand the highly successful and cost-effective Federally Qualified Health Center model to every corner of this country. The result would make certain that every man, woman, and child in this country has access to comprehensive primary care services."

Obama called affordable health care a "top priority" and said Sanders' proposed bill was a "common-sense and cost-effective solution."

Clinton echoed Obama's sentiments, stating that "access to primary care is an essential part of ensuring that all Americans receive the care they need and this legislation is an important part of improving this access. Community health centers have succeeded in bringing primary care to millions of Americans and we should build on this progress."

At Federally Qualified Health Centers, medical expenses are an average of 41 percent lower than other healthcare providers.  The new legislation would add another 800 centers to the current total of 1,100, which currently serve more than 17 million people, according to Sanders' office. 

Additional co-sponsors for the Access for All Americans Act include U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa),  John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).