WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on the death of health care activist and Be A Hero co-founder Ady Barkan:
“The progressive movement has lost a hero tonight. Ady Barkan accomplished more in his too-short time here than most do many lifetimes over. This country, and the lives of all of us who knew and loved him, are better for it.
“I often say that being a progressive means being first to the best and most just idea, and no one embodied that more than Ady. I remember when he testified at the first congressional hearing on Medicare For All. His big strategic mind and even bigger heart were on full display. He spoke with urgency and clarity, pushing all of us to do more and push farther with the power we had. Ady became a seminal figure in the fight for Medicare for All and access to health care, organizing alongside the CPC to ensure Congress passed the first major investment in long-term and home-based care — care on which his life eventually depended — in 2021. He was one of the first to push for full employment and investments in low-wage and marginalized workers with the visionary FedUp Campaign. His commanding presence would not be denied and his relentless pursuit of justice could not be ignored — not by a senator on an airplane, a presidential candidate, or the countless activists he inspired daily.
“I am devastated to lose a champion, a partner, and a friend. My Progressive Caucus colleagues and I are with all those mourning Ady tonight, and we send our deepest condolences to Rachael, Carl, and Willow. May he rest in power.”
