Dean renews call for healthcare reform

WASHINGTON, April 13 (UPI) -- Former Vermont governor and Democratic National Party head Howard Dean is still pushing for universal healthcare, a goal he backed during his presidential bid.

Dean, who left the DNC chairmanship in January after serving four years, is using Democracy For America to build a 50-state strategy advocating for public healthcare, The Hill reported Monday. Democracy For America was the organizing group Dean, a physician who served six terms as governor, used in his 2004 presidential bid.

Since Dean added his name to five DFA e-mails since March, the organization says it's collected more than 250,000 signatures for a petition through a Web site, StandWithDrDean.com.

Dean "feels very passionately about healthcare, so we are more than happy to have Democracy For America as a vehicle for him to advocate that change," Arshad Hasan, the group's executive director, told the Washington publication.

Organizers said the petitions were expected to be delivered to members of Congress this year.