Sanders Sharpens Choice for Democrats on Health Care

Ron Brownstein: “In media interviews last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders — among the front-runners for the party’s 2020 presidential nomination — pointedly refused to endorse legislation that House Democrats had introduced to expand the ACA and to block Trump administration initiatives designed to weaken some of its core consumer protections. Instead, Sanders underscored his support for replacing the ACA with ‘Medicare for All’ legislation, in which government would become the ‘single payer’ for virtually all health care services.”

“Sanders’ cool posture toward the House legislation crystallizes the critical choice Democrats face on health care.”

“With Trump again emphasizing his determination to undo the ACA — both by backing litigation that would invalidate the entire law and by proposing to replace it with block grants for states in his latest budget — Democrats must decide how to respond. The choice is whether to center the party’s 2020 health care message on defending and reinforcing the ACA or to offer their own fundamental change by proposing to replace the law with a single-payer plan that would eliminate virtually all private health insurance.”