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[Mortemis]

I don't see an issue on bringing it up, obviously congress won't vote for this but it's not like they'd even work with Dems on fixing Obamacare.

If this moves the discussion on healthcare more to the left, maybe Dems can get a public option passed through (whenever they take back the gov of course, how long that is idk).

 

[shem935]

Something people miss I think is that Ryan's bill wasn't what trump ran on. Shockingly, he ran on universal coverage for the most part, and he won saying "We will insure everyone". The public wants it, the motivation is there. The expectation that the ACA is the minimum acceptable level of coverage is there. That's what makes the ACA such a staying factor. It's become the entitlement republicans feared it would be. That's why the "24 million" uninsured was such a death knell. Now I don't think running all the way to the left is the answer but these things are about taking as big a step as you can each time and then weathering the blowback. If next time that's medicare for all, great. If it's single payer, great.

 

[Y2Kev]

There's no reason not to put it forward.

 

[guek]

lol, gaf never changes when it comes to political commentary


even if this bill is DOA, that doesn't mean it doesn't have worth as a political move or as a means of keeping the idea of single payer/medicare for all in the minds of people and in ongoing conversations. Something being politically infeasible is no reason to stop talking about it altogether.

 

[Flo_Evans]

I say go for it. We need a list of enemies too.

 

[platakul]

Shirley Chisholm was not wrong. If you're not going to help or support the Democratic party, and you're really hungry for a third party, then get out of the Dems' way and go do your own thing and let them do theirs. If you need that third party, then it is up to you to make that third party that can challenge the status quo. Since your ideas are so popular in your opinion, I'm sure you'll be president soon enough.

It is true that there has never been a better time to abandon a party that has refined the act of losing

 

[Rentahamster]

Bernie once again showing how to lead while most of the rest of the Democrats have their heads up their asses. Will they learn? They better.

This will surely pass.

Worrying about "passability" is not the point.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

There's no reason not to put it forward.

Agreed. It's the best time to start putting this out there again, while also making sure people never forget the monstrosity the Republicans attempted to put forward. It should be so easy to make the case. (but we're America, after-all)

 

[Darryl M R]

He's been going to red districts so I wonder if they will demand support for this legislative from their Republican representative.

 

[Seth Enosh]

Good for Bernie but it's gonna go into a committee and probably never going to even be voted on.

Medicare for ages 55-64 is more realistic and would also save the ACA individual markets but I think it's very unlikely too (Trump could have and should have campaigned on this but despite his campaign statements of being a "different kind of republican" on health care and social security it looks like he just hired a bunch of conservative ideologues like his OMB director)

 

[SaviourMK2]

Go Bernie go!

 

[grap3fruitman]

Yep or something like Conservative Freedom Healthcare for Americans.

The Left will know what it really is and the Right won't care as long as it's not from those hippies.

Trumpcare 2: The Trumpening

 

[GoldenEye 007]

It is true that there has never been a better time to abandon a party that has refined the act of losing

The Dems certainly have flaws. But without them, we wouldn't even have the little protections we have in health care with the ACA.

Also, the US is a two party system. There will never be more than two viable parties within the current political framework. So given that very simple reality, it stands to reason that the Dems will offer a better chance at progressive movement than the GOP.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

Good.

I don't even care if this is deemed to not have a chance. Republicans have pushed the dialogue and conversation so far to the right with all their bullshit antics. We need efforts like Bernie's here to push things back to the left.

 

[KRod-57]

Bernie isn't stupid. He knows this won't pass.

He's only introducing it as a strategic move since the GOP blundered on the health bill.

He's playing chess not checkers.

The ACA has gaps and this will help get it back in the public consciousness.

Unfortunately there's no party looking to support this tactic. If this were the Democrats' platform, this would give people something to vote for in 2018. Back in 2008/9 Obama was against the insurance mandate and for the public option, but when it came time to pass healthcare reform there were a handful of Democrats who made the public option an impossibility

The ACA passed instead without a single vote from the Republicans. There are countries that have universal coverage through the mandate plan, but in every other country that uses this method, the mandated plans are nonprofit. The fact of the matter is that our political system is more concerned with company profits than the well being of the public at large.

Republicans makes this a reality, but so do some Democrats.. and the thing is, whenever someone on the liberal side tries to call out the corporatist Democrats, that person is shamed into a corner. Democrats are better at shaming progressives than they are at shaming the corporatism in their own party.

We are unfortunately a political system that is driven by special interest.. it's a reality in both parties, but it is especially a reality in the Republican party

 

[Zips]

A clearly symbolic and political move, but a needed one nonetheless.

Show that Democrats are trying to help people while the GOP squabbles over how best to screw everyone over.

 

[pigeon]

Unfortunately there's no party looking to support this tactic. If this were the Democrat's platform, this would give people something to vote for in 2018. Back in 2008/9 Obama was against the insurance mandate and for the public option, but when it came time to pass healthcare reform there were a handful of Democrats who made the public option an impossibility

There was exactly one and he wasn't a Democrat

 

[megalowho]

This is good because it continues the health care conversation when Republicans want to move on. Also reminds people there's another way forward than the cruelty the GOP is peddling. It's political theatre, but with no power to bring bills to the floor these are the kind of things the left wing can do to be a productive opposition and keep the base engaged.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Bernie once again showing how to lead while most of the rest of the Democrats have their heads up their asses. Will they learn? They better.



Worrying about "passability" is not the point.

What are you talking about? Are Dems criticizing this? Why focus on them when more than likely they'd vote for this in a heartbeat and the GOP not only would never allow this to come to a vote, they wouldn't vote for it if it did?

 

[Angelus Errare]

Canadians in general don't mind paying somewhat higher taxes to ensure that basic health care access is not predicated on ability to pay. No idea what the thinking is in the US about such a thing, but there's a very simple reason why it's possible elsewhere and it's a pro-society thinking, rather than strictly pro-individual and pro-wealth.

If you can convince others to accept slightly higher taxes for the common good, then do so.

Well to be fair "prosperity" based Christianity and an unbridled hatred at the mere idea of a black people benefiting from such legislation never really got proper footing in Canada (not to insinuate that there was and still is no racism in Canada people of color).

I wish I had the link on hand of a national poll that was done back when social welfare programs were first introduced and how many Americans were against it when it originally included African Americans benefiting from it as well.

 

[Karsticles]

1) Kick out Ryan.
2) Bernie switches parties.
3) Make Bernie Sanders Speaker of the House.
4) Darkest timeline redeemed.

 

[jack_package_200]

Show that Democrats are trying to help people while the GOP squabbles over how best to screw everyone over.

Yep. This is the perfect time to throw some Hail Mary plays.

 

[sphagnum]

Obviously not going anywhere but good for pushing the Overton window.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Something people miss I think is that Ryan's bill wasn't what trump ran on. Shockingly, he ran on universal coverage for the most part, and he won saying "We will insure everyone". The public wants it, the motivation is there. The expectation that the ACA is the minimum acceptable level of coverage is there. That's what makes the ACA such a staying factor. It's become the entitlement republicans feared it would be. That's why the "24 million" uninsured was such a death knell. Now I don't think running all the way to the left is the answer but these things are about taking as big a step as you can each time and then weathering the blowback. If next time that's medicare for all, great. If it's single payer, great.

Trump wanted to get rid of the individual mandate and create completely open markets again. He argued that the competition would drive down prices and increase the number of insured.

That is not the same thing as advocating universal coverage, it's disingenuous to conflate the two strategies.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

There was exactly one and he wasn't a Democrat

People don't remember anything about anything

Anyway, seems like a good moment to do some high-profile comparing and contrasting for the future.

 

[kame-sennin]

I don't see how when only 16% of Republicans favor keeping the ACA, while 41% favor medicare for all.

We all know the preferences of the American people have no bearing on the legislation passed by Congress.

 

[BitStyle]

He has my sword

1) Kick out Ryan.
2) Bernie switches parties.
3) Make Bernie Sanders Speaker of the House.
4) Darkest timeline redeemed.

The party of "fiscal responsibility" might live up to their name then

 

[guek]

1) Kick out Ryan.
2) Bernie switches parties.
3) Make Bernie Sanders Speaker of the House.
4) Darkest timeline redeemed.

 

[thefro]

Call it Trumpcare

Well, "Universal Medicare Program" would be the UMP in "TRUMP"

What's TR?

 

[OceanBlue]

Are there any Lieberman-esque Democrats in Republican states who wouldn't want to vote on this? Should we care? I'm concerned about putting people like that in tight spots but this sounds like a good political move otherwise.

 

[guek]

Well, "Universal Medicare Program" would be the UMP in "TRUMP"

What's TR?

The "Totally Republican" Universal Medicare Program

 

[Boney]

Good, gotta hit hard that republican fiasco and leave them completely beholden to their electorate. They can't vote no to a well thought out proposal when their own president can't do a legible bill. (I say "can't" in the loosest way possible).

Seems Schumer ended up having at least some common sense and budged on this.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Are there any Lieberman-esque Democrats in Republican states who wouldn't want to vote on this? Should we care? I'm concerned about putting people like that in tight spots but this sounds like a good political move otherwise.

Most of the red state Democrats certainly would be skeptical about being proponents of it. We'll see if they'll avoid it when we actually have power to pass anything though, since they'll probably recognize that they'll lose reelection regardless.

 

[Rentahamster]

What are you talking about? Are Dems criticizing this? Why focus on them when more than likely they'd vote for this in a heartbeat and the GOP not only would never allow this to come to a vote, they wouldn't vote for it if it did?

What am I talking about? Why is the most energy for liberal policies and legislation coming from a guy who wasn't even a Democrat for most of his career?

Are Dems criticizing this?

Some people even in this very thread mocking the idea of Bernie even trying.

Why focus on them when more than likely they'd vote for this in a heartbeat and the GOP not only would never allow this to come to a vote, they wouldn't vote for it if it did?

I'm not focusing on them "more".

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I mean I get the political chess and all, but does it matter when your opponents are hypocrites that have proven to be completely without shame and people would still support them?

 

[Rentahamster]

I mean I get the political chess and all, but does it matter when your opponents are hypocrites that have proven to be completely without shame and people would still support them?

Oh it matters.

 

[GiantEnemyGoomba]

This is a good thing at the very basic level because at least they're creating legislation ahead of time which evidently the GOP completely failed to do.

Also who the hell knows if there's no chance it passes. Donald has voiced support for universal healthcare in the past and maybe enough moderates would support it since it seems like more and more people are in favor of it. It'd still be a longshot obviously.

 

[SolarPowered]

Good

We know it won't pass, but democrat voters need an idea to rally around and the powers that be need to set a goal for the party going forward. Time to shift the conversation in this country just a teensy bit leftward.

 

[KRod-57]

There was exactly one and he wasn't a Democrat

I can name at least 13 who made the public option an impossibility

 

[Bronx-Man]

Bernie could get some steam going on this if it he sold it as Medicare-for-all.

 

[guek]

I mean I get the political chess and all, but does it matter when your opponents are hypocrites that have proven to be completely without shame and people would still support them?

Yes.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Oh it matters.

Yes.

Ok, why does it matters?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

What am I talking about? Why is the most energy for liberal policies and legislation coming from a guy who wasn't even a Democrat for most of his career?


Some people even in this very thread mocking the idea of Bernie even trying.


I'm not focusing on them "more".

The last time Democrats proposed major health reform, it passed - probably for the first time since Medicare/Medicaid itself was created. Then they promptly got thrown out of office before it could even be fully rolled out. It's been relatively toxic to address for the most part until the shitshow that just happened.

Now with this opening, moves can be made. Even if symbolic.

 

[Ogodei]

Goodluck.gif
Seriously, I like Sanders' enthusiasm, but he should really be pushing for the public option, because that's how you get to the public option. Singlepayer right now is a non starter, it would require to much to chanel to work.

GOP's going to oppose anything we do to make better healthcare. Might as well get the most the Democratic congress will allow, and just tell voters how much better it could be by offering a real, clear alternative to the status quo.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Bernie could get some steam going on this if it he sold it as Medicare-for-all.

The media and politicians assume their audiences are stupid. It will be demonized as "Berniecare" and parroted as such.

 

[rokkerkory]

We can do it, but it means the death of the medical insurance industry. Those poor executives, what will they do?

Force them to play along or else

 

[Valhelm]

Any chance the Dems pick this up as a rallying point for 2018? The prospect of single payer gives people something to vote for.

 

[gaugebozo]

Dear Mr President,

Single payer will infuriate the Freedom Caucus.

Sincerely,
A Crying Eagle

 

[guek]

Bernie could get some steam going on this if it he sold it as Medicare-for-all.

Considering that's literally what he campaigned on, there's a good chance that's what this ends up being.

Ok, why does it matters?

Because politics is a fluid process that encompasses far more than what can only be done in the immediate term. These types of proposals aren't meant for the hardline republican base, they're meant to appeal to moderates. Keeping the possibility of medicare expansions for example within the political conversation is imperative because saying it wont happen and leaving it at that ensures that it wont. Just look at how the Republicans have used repealing the ACA as a political soapbox for 7 years. In the end, it turned out it was nothing more than empty words, but it was important for their party because it kept the discussion over the ACA alive and helped give their party something to rally behind. Look at the results of that initiative - whether or not they were able to repeal the ACA is beside the point because on many levels, the GOP is still dominating the conversation along with consistently winning elections by non-stop grandstanding over something that wont happen any time soon.

 

[jack_package_200]

Goodluck.gif
Seriously, I like Sanders' enthusiasm, but he should really be pushing for the public option, because that's how you get to the public option. Singlepayer right now is a non starter, it would require to much to chanel to work.

Reupblicans will say no to anything the left wants.

Why ask for an inch when you can ask for a mile?