Warren co-sponsors Bernie’s Medicare for All bill
WASHINGTON — Bay State Sen. Elizabeth Warren is backing Bernie Sanders’ single-payer health care bill, joining other high-profile Democrats yesterday as a co-sponsor of the Vermont independent senator’s measure to extend Medicare coverage to everyone as the midterm election season draws near.
“Medicare for All is one way that we can give every single person in the country access to highquality health care,” Warren said in a statement released by her campaign yesterday. “Everyone is covered. Nobody goes broke paying a medical bill. Families don’t have to bear the costs of heartbreaking medical disasters on their own.”
The Cambridge Democrat joins others such as U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in endorsing Sanders’ single-payer plan, a move that comes as Democrats try to improve their chances of taking back the Senate in next year’s election — or at least not lose seats as they face a difficult election map — with economic appeals to voters.
While Warren praised Obamacare, she added, “There’s so much more we could do right now to bring down the costs of quality health care for every American.”
Warren’s announcement came just minutes before she introduced Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker at a Senate health committee hearing to address how to shore up individual markets under Obamacare.
In his testimony, Baker held Massachusetts up as an example of a system that has led to near universal coverage within the state, but urged lawmakers to find more bipartisan solutions to make health care more affordable and keep insurers in the markets.
“Congress should take immediate affirmative steps to resolve the federal cost-sharing reduction payments until longer-term reforms are enacted,” Baker told lawmakers.
He appeared alongside Govs. Steve Bullock of Montana, Gary Herbert of Utah, John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado and Bill Haslam of Tennessee at the second of four hearings of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on ways to shore up individual markets.