“We’ve known about the impact that skyrocketing prescription drug costs have had for years,” Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, the clerk of the House Health Care committee, said in an interview. But “because there’s so much market consolidation and so much vertical and horizontal integration (of health care companies), it’s just been it’s been so hard to get at that and get inside the black box and have any real power to do anything about it.”

In the convoluted health care industry, PBMs are essentially middlemen. They negotiate prices between drug companies and health insurers and determine which drugs are covered by insurance plans, and to what degree.

In recent years, PBMs have drawn scrutiny and criticism nationally from lawmakers and officials, who accuse them of driving up drug costs with opaque practices. (PBMs have disputed those claims.)

In Vermont, H.233 (lead sponsor Rep. Mari Cordes) comes amid a multi-year push to regulate how the entities can operate in the state. The bill would require PBMs to obtain a license from the Department of Financial Regulation in order to operate in Vermont, and strengthen the department’s oversight of them.

Rep. Mari Cordes, a Democrat from Lincoln, is a nurse. She supported the bill.

"It's frustrating to be a health care professional and feel like we are being maligned — our integrity, our skill, our training — because insurance companies know better," Cordes said. (Cordes worked on the bill in her House Healthcare Committee)

Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, negotiate contracts for prescription drugs on behalf of health insurance companies, employers and unions.

State Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, agrees they are one reason independent pharmacies in Vermont are vanishing.

“They’re a huge industry with way too much control over the cost and the distribution of drugs and medication,” Cordes said.

Cordes is sponsoring a bill, H.353, that would limit pharmacy benefit managers’ control over pharmacists and provide more transparency about prescription drug costs to patients. It passed the House on Wednesday.

Cordes said 75% to 80% of people with prescription drug coverage have it managed by one of three pharmacy benefit managers: CVS Caremark, Express Scripts or Optum Rx, a division of UnitedHealth Group.

Cordes said pharmacy benefit managers can direct pharmacists to medications that are more profitable to the pharmacy benefit managers and the pharmaceutical companies.

Legislative leaders, meanwhile, were also under pressure from a block of Democrats and Progressives in the House who had banded together to demand that the program be at least temporarily and partially extended. That group of dissidents wielded powerful leverage: the votes legislative leaders needed to override Scott’s veto of the state budget.

With that deal in hand, Democrats in the block agreed to support the $8.5 billion budget. Lawmakers on Tuesday also overrode the governor’s budget veto by a vote of 105 to 42 in the House, and 25 to 5 in the Senate.

“A month ago we were in a much different place with concern to those who were vulnerable in regards to housing,” Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, an organizer in the Democratic block, said on the House floor Tuesday before declaring her intentions to vote for the budget.

Maulucci said it “wasn’t lost” on the governor that he likely helped lawmakers override his own veto. But he said Scott had decided it was the “right thing to do.”

During one of the committee’s hearings on H.40, Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, came to sit at the head of the long table — not in her capacity as a legislator, but as a survivor.

“It happened to me more than 20 years ago,” Cordes told her colleagues on Feb. 2. “I had consensual sex with someone I trusted, a friend, and he stealthed me.”

She had never heard the term at the time, she said. All she knew was that she felt traumatized by the experience. “I couldn’t understand why I felt the way that I did after this happened, because I didn’t know it was sexual assault,” she said.

“My experience at the time was to dissociate,” Cordes continued. “I felt I had no control. I felt very isolated. I felt very small, disempowered. I felt violated. I had trouble with trust after that.”

But she “packed it up” away in her mind, and didn’t tell anyone about the experience until more than 20 years later, when she said she confided in a therapist. It wasn’t until then that it clicked for her: “I had the intellectual understanding that this was sexual assault.”

Like other forms of sexual violence, it can be difficult to gather accurate data on how common stealthing is. One Melbourne study dating back to 2017 found that, of more than 2,000 clinic patients surveyed over the course of three months, nearly 1 in 3 women reported having been stealthed in their lifetimes.

But Rachelson told her colleagues on Thursday that, when conducting her research on the topic and in speaking with college-aged constituents about it, she discovered that the act — in the words of one 2019 Michigan Journal of Gender & Law article she cited — has “grotesque ubiquity.” She described happening upon internet forums and “blogs galore” offering tips on how to effectively stealth. “It’s a thing,” Rachelson said.

Despite its apparent ubiquity, proponents of H.40 say that, just like Cordes for so many years, many victims of stealthing don’t have the words to describe what happened to them, or realize that it’s a form of assault. They say a major benefit of even discussing H.40 in a public forum is to raise awareness of the issue.

After the House panel’s Feb. 2 hearing concluded, one observer in the room approached some of the lawmakers and shared that, upon hearing the testimony, she realized that it happened to her, too.

By the time this column goes to press, the men's NCAA tournament will be over. Rep. Mari Cordes (D-Lincoln), whom I reached by phone, was in third place before the final four games, which took place the weekend of April 1. Though she loves to play sports, she said, she doesn't own a TV and would be a "horrible disappointment to my now-deceased mother, who was a huge sports fan.

"For me, [the pool] is a fun way to engage with other legislators in a lighthearted way," she said.

Cordes is also a registered nurse. "Between COVID and nursing and working overtime and dealing with some pretty heavy policy stuff in the Statehouse, this is just a way to build relationships and kind of blow off some steam," she said.

“I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the stress on the ground and the need for flexibility,” said Mazza Olson, who is executive director of VNAs of Vermont, a nonprofit organization of visiting nurse associations. “If this flexibility means one more nurse in one more place for one more day, we need that.”

Vermont’s health care staffing shortage is nearing a crisis point, as hospital beds and emergency rooms are filling up quickly with the advent of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The Covid-19 crisis has forced a slew of canceled or delayed surgeries, long wait times at emergency rooms and a shortage of available hospital beds.

Legislators said they want to extend the law well before the March 31 expiration date and indicated that some Act 6 provisions could become permanent.

“I think we’re in — for unfortunate reasons — a unique moment to reset,” said Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, who is a registered nurse.

"If we want to curb or slow the demographic crisis, you don't get rid of a resource that is actually bringing people back into your communities or that is attracting people from other parts of the country into Vermont," said Backlund

"Carr wrote a policy brief with the goal of improving health equity, access to healthy food and health disparities. She also looked at the economic perspective — federal funds from the WIC benefits would go to small family farms largely owned by women or Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community members who are working on small margins. She pointed out rural areas tend to have a lot more farmers markets, which are closer than stores selling food.."

"The lead sponsors of the bill were Reps. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, and Taylor Small, P/D-Winooski, who is the first openly transgender person to serve in the Vermont Legislature." "From Small’s perspective, the unanimous support in the Legislature and Scott’s signature send a signal to members of the LGBTQ community that they can more safely report cases of discrimination, bias and violence."

"After voting 4-0-1 in favor of the Vermont House of Representatives’ discrimination prevention policy for 2021-22, the panel approved a motion to enter executive session to consider a question of discrimination in the lower chamber."

"..The Addison County Democratic Committee's Criminal Justice Panel wanted to emphasize the importance of tackling criminal justice issues in Vermont. The virtual meeting held Monday night identified problems such as race, police, drugs, and much more."

"These horrific killings have exposed another truth of the fundamental inequity of life for Asian American women in our society. Discrimination against Asian-Americans is rising both nationally and in Vermont."

"A bill designed to address disparities in Vermont’s health care system won approval Friday from the Vermont House. "

Additional government funding from the American Rescue Plan includes $130,752 for Addison County and support for vaccine distribution, childcare subsidies, rental assistance, and more.

"Last week, Rep. Taylor Small and Rep. Mari Cordes’ bill to protect transgender people unanimously passed through the House Judiciary Committee."

"On March 9, two days after Scott announced the state’s first positive case, Cordes started a Facebook group titled “How Can I Help #prepare.." which "became a clearinghouse for information on local volunteer efforts, public announcements, news articles and the latest health guidance Cordes could get from her workplaces."

“If I, as a white woman, am not willing or able to listen or learn, then I will never know about systemic racism, because I don’t experience the deleterious impacts of it,” [Representative Cordes] said.

If wishes were fishes, we’d all have a fry. Wishes for unity will never work on their own unless we do the hard and necessary work together to repair and grow.

"The condition, also known as “long COVID,” can lead to a panoply of bewildering symptoms: hair loss, memory loss, red spots on the legs, an autoimmune response, lack of smell or taste, brain fog, exhaustion, cough, insomnia, diarrhea, fever."

"On the cardiology unit, everything from the patient alarm system to the process to get lab results has changed, said nurse Mari Cordes...".

"I do want to put the public at ease, even though, from a 30,000-foot view, this is definitely disturbing," Cordes said. "But what's happening in the hospital is very methodical. We are using the same safety precautions we've always used."

The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) comes up soon for final approval in the Vermont House and I urge the continued support of Addison County’s legislators. Thanks for earlier support go to Reps. Robin Scheu and Amy Sheldon of Middlebury, Peter Conlon of Cornwall, Mari Cordes of Lincoln, Caleb Elder of Starksboro, and Matt Birong and Diane Lanpher of Vergennes. Thanks also to Senators Chris Bray and Ruth Hardy for their ongoing support.

Rep. Mari Cordes, a Democrat, from Lincoln, said it was lawmakers' responsibility to protect Vermonters and be proactive, particularly when it's hard.

“Supporting the global warming solutions act is supporting economic resilience and protecting the most vulnerable from the devastating impacts of climate change,” she said, adding that it doesn't go far enough.

The Vermont House on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would send stimulus checks to anyone who was denied federal relief payments this spring because of their immigration status.

The Women’s Legislative Caucus strongly believes that all workers in Vermont – regardless of immigration status – should be treated with dignity and fairness. We call on the State of Vermont to step up where the federal government has failed and create a fund to issue payments to all undocumented families excluded from federal Covid-19 relief due to their immigration status.

To: All House & Senate Chairs and Legislative Colleagues

We, the undersigned members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus, support the creation of a Coronavirus Relief Fund for immigrant and undocumented workers and their families in Vermont.

As our state responds in the face of an unprecedented public health crisis, it is important that our legislative actions and policymaking are guided by justice, equity and fairness – and that all Vermonters have access to relief from the state and federal government.

We first met Mari when she was canvasing our neighborhood during her first run for the legislature and immediately formed a bond because of our mutual and passionate concerns for the environment and social justice. Right from the beginning Mari impressed, even amazed us, with her background, her vocation, her energy, and her work for the common good.

LINCOLN, VT — Mari Cordes, Democratic/Progressive candidate for the Vermont House in Addison-4, has received endorsements from several individuals and organizations, including Vermont Sierra Club, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Renew New England and Our Revolution, and Rights and Democracy.

“I’ve dedicated my life to the causes these people and organizations represent, and it’s an honor for my campaign, our community building and legislative work to be recognized in this way,” said Cordes.

Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) has presented this year’s Environmental Rising Star Award to Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, and two other first-term legislators who have become leaders on environmental issues: Rep. Kathleen James, D-Manchester Center, and Sen. Andrew Perchlik, D/P-Montpelier....Rep. Cordes is a registered nurse and labor negotiator, and has volunteered extensively in her community and abroad — including offering medical care for Vermonters after Tropical Storm Irene, in Haiti after a devastating earthquake, and for refugees fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. She also works locally with organizations including 350VT and Rights & Democracy.

Cordes completed her degree in Natural Resource Economics, Management and Policy. She chose her home in Vermont because of its beauty, the ability to live close to the land and a strong commitment to community. Having raised her family on their organic vegetable farm, she now lives with her husband off the grid in Lincoln.

Since being elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 2018, VCV says Cordes has stepped up to become a leader on the legislative Climate Solutions Caucus, helping the team build and execute strategies for connecting with more Vermonters all over the state about climate solutions. This includes ambitious efforts this past fall that resulted in reaching over 1,000 Vermonters at climate events in communities around the state.

“Rep. Cordes has brought her years of organizing experience and expertise at getting hard things done to the Statehouse, and that’s why she earned this year’s VCV Environmental Rising Star Award,” said VCV Executive Director Lauren Hierl. “We’re looking forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.”

— Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, spent part of the Christmas season in a refugee camp on the U.S.-Mexico border. Cordes, a registered nurse, provided volunteer medical support for people seeking asylum in the U.S.

Conditions in the camp are primitive, she said, with refugees living in tents with minimal supplies of food, water and sanitation. Cordes has previously volunteered in disaster zones and refugee camps in the U.S., Haiti, Africa and Europe. - John Walters

Glyphosate, the herbicide better known as Monsanto's Roundup, has been identified in recent scientific studies as a human carcinogen and toxic to environmental ecosystems. It is widely used in Vermont. Manchester's Conservation Commission supports a statewide ban on glyphosate and glyphosate-based pesticides as set forth in Vermont House bill H.301 sponsored by Representative Mari Cordes.

Staff from GRM’s 750-member network of health care providers come down for a week or two to lend a hand. They include people such as Mari Cordes, a veteran nurse and Vermont state legislator who used the holiday break to serve.

...she was able to draw on relationships she had built in the community as a neighbor, nurse, and union leader over nearly as long a period. Bringing a grassroots approach to electoral campaigning—in part by inviting community members to come together and talk about the changes they wanted to see in the district and state during regular listening sessions she organized throughout the campaign...

A close ally of climate change activists in the House, Rep. Mari Cordes, D/P-Addison 4, said while she passionately supports climate justice, the wide variety of priorities among Democrats and a need to represent all Vermonters simply meant not every initiative could advance this session.

“I share their frustrations,” Cordes said.

Still, Cordes promised she and colleagues focused on climate change legislation will continue working in the Vermont Legislature’s off-season.

When news of the potential closure reached state reps, Alderman says they immediately called and asked, 'what can we do to help?' Now, they're working together to keep the store's doors open, and its legacy alive.

"I was definitely dismayed, but not surprised. We're in the era of chain stores, Blue Apron and Amazon," said Rep. Mari Cordes, D/P-Lincoln. Cordes spoke to the Commissioner of the Tax Department and Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman Thursday. She says they all agreed it's in everybody's best interest to keep country stores like Monkton General afloat. "Like schools, I think general stores are the heart of the community. Having village central areas and economic hubs, I think, are critical to that so that people can get their needs locally and not be driving long distances to purchase things."

6 Candidates for Addison4 Vt Senate, 2 seats open. 4 Candidates for Addison4 Vt House, 2 seats open. 1 Candidate unopposed Addison5 Vt House

We of Bristol, Lincoln, Starksboro, and Monkton could not be better represented, and it is with admiration from me, who ran against them this primary, that I ask you to support them. The State House will run better if they are in there to help.

We are calling for all women to join us for a mass civil disobedience in DC on Thursday, 6/28, to demand this administration stop criminalizing undocumented immigrants and tearing children away from their parents.#WomenDisobey to #EndFamilyDetention http://endfamilyseparation.us

LINCOLN, VT — Mari Cordes, Democratic candidate for the Vermont House in Addison-4, has received endorsements from several individuals and organizations, including David Zuckerman, Bill McKibben, the VSEA, and Rights & Democracy.

“I’ve dedicated my life to the causes these people and organizations represent, and it’s an honor for my campaign to be recognized in this way,” said Cordes.

"Mari Cordes in town from Vermont, said that she makes sure to let her nursing board know ahead of time when she plans to participate in “CD” so it won’t interfere with her licensing. When asked whether or not helping professionals should be protesting this way, she said, “I think this is one of the most healing things a nursing practitioner can do.” I am sure there are many other ways Ms. Cordes would have preferred to use her time. She’s a mother, grandmother, and full time Nurse back in Vermont. But she felt compelled to be here."

"Instead of slashing health care to cover the cost of massive tax cuts for the wealthy, elected leaders should listen to their constituents and work to expand access to health care so that every American can get the care they need, when they need it."

"... Mari Cordes says she has witnessed racial discrimination in the health care system and says all institutions, whether they are public or private, need to take a hard look at the issue. “Many of us are taking a hard look at our bias. Many people are still not. So I think what’s transferable is for institutions to have the courage to admit that it exists within them personally individually and within the organization and then take strong steps to establish processes and systems that will address it.”

WELCOME TO INTERVIEWS FOR RESISTANCE. Since election night 2016, the streets of the U.S. have rung with resistance. People all over the country have woken up with the conviction that they must do something to fight inequality in all its forms. But many are wondering what it is they can do. In this series, we’ll be talking with experienced organizers, troublemakers, and thinkers who have been doing the hard work of fighting for a long time. They’ll be sharing their insights on what works, what doesn’t, and what has changed, and what is still the same.

As the American Civil Liberties Union's Twitter feed put it, "Senators Collins, McCain and Murkowski deserve gratitude — but the real heroes are the millions of Americans who showed us what democracy looks like."

Mari Cordes talks about the organizing she did against the health care bill and why it's important that activists keep fighting for the health care we need.

"Inspired by the work of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cordes, a 57-year-old grandmother and registered nurse, is seeking public office after decades of advocating for individuals and families.

In her state, she has helped secure paid sick leave, pass anti-discrimination legislation for transgender people and expose systemic racism. She has also provided medical and disaster relief to earthquake survivors in Haiti and refugees passing through Greece. Cordes believes it’s our responsibility to help anyone who is negatively impacted by U.S. policy, including Syrian refugees and communities affected by the climate crisis.

It takes ordinary people like us, like me, fighting like hell for a world that works for everyone and not just a few."

When Our Revolution -- the new organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders -- kicked off in Burlington, Vermont, a nurse and long-time union organizer, Mari Cordes, introduced the iconic senator in front of the many thousands watching across the country. While Cordes is a major advocate for social change in Vermont, she is not a national figure. But some might call her a pioneer whose story may be the epitome of the kind of "political revolution" that Sanders says is "just getting started."

Cordes is among several Vermont progressives, many of whom have worked with Sanders in the past, who have already had success in winning down-ticket primaries this year against what Cordes described in an interview with Truthout as "the Democratic establishment in Vermont." She was endorsed personally by Bernie Sanders in her successful primary challenge for a seat in Vermont's House of Representatives, against an incumbent Democrat. Since then, she has been among the first candidates endorsed by Our Revolution. She was also endorsed by Rights and Democracy (RAD), a Vermont-based group she helped found, which has similar goals as Our Revolution, emphasizing down-ticket races at the local level.

Mari Cordes, who is running for the Vermont House of Representatives in Addison-4, was named to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s 2016 Power List, which recognizes rising political stars from across the country.

People’s Action, a national organization of more than a million people, is endorsing 22 candidates around the country. The candidates exemplify the leadership qualities, values and vision necessary to build a strong future for everyone – not just the wealthy few.

“Change never takes place from the top down, it always takes place from the bottom up.”

• Senator Bernie Sanders

This past Wednesday night, surrounded by fellow progressive candidates, Bill McKibben, and a standing-room-only crowd, I had the honor of introducing Senator Bernie Sanders at his national broadcast launching the organization Our Revolution. It was a privilege to join Bernie in carrying the message that the people's movement sparked by his presidential candidacy has transformed this country’s political landscape. Today, meaningful progressive change can and will occur from our local school boards all the way to the halls of Congress!

Watch my speech following Bill McKibben’s introduction, and keep listening for Bernie’s full message.

Vermonters went to the polls on Tuesday to choose nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, state senators and state representatives, and cast ballots on local issues.

“I live with my husband and our small flock of quirky chickens on our off-the-grid homestead,” reads Mari Cordes’ campaign website.

But don’t be fooled by her humble words; Cordes is a powerhouse.

As president of the 2,000-member Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (VFNHP), Cordes successfully fought for paid sick leave, improved health care legislation, an end to insurance discrimination against transgendered patients and increased oversight of for-profit hospital buyouts, all while working 12-hour shifts as a cardiology RN.

In the wake of Bernie Sanders’ groundbreaking progressive campaign, Cordes has set her sights on something even bigger—the Vermont House of Representatives.

On August 9, the self-described progressive Democrat will make her first run for elected office, facing off against Stephen Pilcher and incumbent Dave Sharpe in the Democratic primary.

Vermont is one of the few states with a precedent of progressive leadership. Not only have third-party progressive candidates won seats in the state House and Senate, but Sanders also hails from the Green Mountain State. Riding the wave of political optimism created by his campaign, candidates like Cordes are working to ensure that the senator’s progressive legacy will live on in local government.

Her work has earned her the endorsements of the Vermont AFL-CIO, the Vermont National Educators Association and the Vermont State Employees’ Association.

In These Times recently connected with Cordes by phone to discuss her past, present and future as a political leader.

Cordes quoted: “Matt and I agree that healthcare is a human right. I’ve been a registered nurse in Vermont since 1988, and I’ve witnessed firsthand how a political system hijacked by private, corporate interests has an impact on the health and well-being of Vermonters,” said Mari Cordes, RN VA-BC, and former President of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. “Matt has a plan to help turn this around, starting with a system of publicly funded universal primary care. He’s also right to prioritize community health programs. Our current system is broken, and we need a new approach to turn it around. I have confidence in Matt’s plan to put us back on track and implement policies that will improve access to high quality care for all Vermonters.”

Proud to be part of a coalition that made this into law this year! "We are living in a remarkable period of time when policy, resources and protections have shifted dramatically toward large businesses and away from people, with a continuing and disturbing trend of deteriorating standards for the lowest paid workers while the wealth and opportunities of very few are flourishing. All this while evidence grows that paid sick leave policies work and support both people and business."

A survey of the 3,000-member Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals showed overwhelming support for singer payer, said Mari Cordes, a nurse member of the union.

Health care providers want anyone who needs medical attention to get it as early as possible, she said, with no barriers to accessing care when their condition worsens or becomes life-threatening and costlier to treat.

“Get the insurance companies out of our exam rooms and get our hard-earned money out of administrative waste and exorbitant CEO compensation,” Cordes said. “A universal publicly funded health care system is the only way to do that.”

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

We are writing on behalf of Mari Cordes, a working nurse in Burlington, Vermont and past president of the 2,000-member AFT-affiliated RN union at UVM Medical Center.

.... She was instrumental in securing her state federation’s support for [Bernie Sanders] campaign and joined other members in lobbying the American Federation of Teachers to back Bernie’s presidential bid.

Mari is now running for office herself, as part of the surge of interest in local progressive politics generated by Bernie’s national campaign. She is running for the Vermont State House of Representatives from the Addison-4 District (the towns of Lincoln, Starksboro, Monkton, and Bristol).

She is campaigning, in part, based on her past labor-related work as a statewide leader of the Vermont Progressive Party and [activist] member of the Vermont Workers Center. She has been one of Vermont’s leading advocates for single-payer health care, workers' rights, and other causes, including environmental protection. (She is treasurer of the 350.org Vermont board.)

Mari Cordes co-led the Equal Care Coalition that won this: "Transgender Law Center congratulates the state of Vermont today, as it becomes the fourth state (and DC!) to order insurance companies to end their practice of excluding medically necessary care for transgender people."

On this site in the past, I’ve tried to highlight the work of nurses who have taken their patient advocacy into the arena of public policy making and electoral politics.

Mari Cordes, a nurse of twenty-eight years, the last sixteen at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, has done both. After tireless campaigning for single payer health care in the Green Mountain State and for safer nurse-patient staffing ratios in her own hospital, Mari has become a candidate for the state legislature.

Before taking this plunge into local politics, Mari served as president of a 2,000-member nurses union, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. In that capacity, she both represented her co-workers in contract negotiations and day-to-day grievance handling and served as a constant presence in Montpelier, the Vermont state capitol. There, she helped draft bills and organize community support for paid sick leave, an end to health insurance plan discrimination against transgendered patients, and better regulatory oversight when local hospitals are sold to for-profit operators.