SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
"If we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies," Sanders said. (Photo: CNN/Screengrab)
Shortly following Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) announcement that she plans to vote against the latest iteration of Trumpcare--likely dealing a death blow to deeply unpopular legislation that was already teetering on the edge of collapse--Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) piled it on the GOP Monday night in a CNN-hosted debate against the principal architects of the floundering bill, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).
"Our job as a humane society is to do a couple of things," Sanders said in the heat of a dispute with Cassidy over his bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid. "It's not to throw 30 million people off of health insurance. It's to do what every other major country on Earth does, guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. That's what we should be doing."
\u201c"Civilized society doesn't kick millions off healthcare, it expands it to all - as other wealthy nations have done" #HealthCareDebate #S1804\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1506395740
As Common Dreams reported last week, many Democratic officials and pundits expressed concerns about Sanders' decision to partipate in Monday's debate, worrying that his push for Medicare for All would distract from the immediate task of defeating Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders quickly proved these warnings to be entirely unfounded, however, as he deftly weaved between discussing the necessity of defeating the GOP's deeply unpopular plan, passing short-term fixes to Obamacare, and fighting for an ambitious alternative, embodied in the Medicare for All bill he--along with 16 Democratic co-sponsors--introduced earlier this month.
Though Klobuchar is one of the Democratic senators who has not sponsored Sanders' bill, the two senators aligned in defense of Planned Parenthood, Medicaid, and key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that protect people with preexisting conditions.
"If we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"One in five women get their healthcare from Planned Parenthood. And I am strongly opposed to this bill's provisions to defund Planned Parenthood," Klobuchar said, adding also a defense of the ACA's essential benefits requirements.
Republicans, Sanders added, "want to tell 2.5 million women in the United States of America who today choose Planned Parenthood to get their healthcare they can't do that."
\u201cRepublicans talk about choice, but they want to deny millions of women the right to choose Planned Parenthood for care. #HealthCareDebate\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1506388043
While much of the debate centered around Sanders' and Klobuchar's critique of the GOP's "absurd" bill and Graham's rebuttal that Medicare for All--and even tweaks to Obamacare--amounts to creeping socialism, there was at least one point of agreement: the current healthcare system puts too much money in the pockets of massive insurance companies.
After Graham rattled off the stock increases of insurance giants like Cigna, Anthem, and Aetna, Sanders replied: "See, Lindsey, there it is. You actually said something that was right."
"This system is designed to make billions of dollars in profits for the insurance industry," Sanders concluded. "So if we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies. They do not play a role in providing healthcare. Our money should be going to doctors, to nurses, to hospitals, not to the insurance industry or, in fact, the drug industry, which is charging us by far the highest prices in the world."
Watch:
\u201cSanders says he agrees with Graham: Insurance companies are the biggest winners in current system #HealthCareDebate https://t.co/smKYQSFIIO\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1506389146
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Shortly following Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) announcement that she plans to vote against the latest iteration of Trumpcare--likely dealing a death blow to deeply unpopular legislation that was already teetering on the edge of collapse--Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) piled it on the GOP Monday night in a CNN-hosted debate against the principal architects of the floundering bill, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).
"Our job as a humane society is to do a couple of things," Sanders said in the heat of a dispute with Cassidy over his bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid. "It's not to throw 30 million people off of health insurance. It's to do what every other major country on Earth does, guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. That's what we should be doing."
\u201c"Civilized society doesn't kick millions off healthcare, it expands it to all - as other wealthy nations have done" #HealthCareDebate #S1804\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1506395740
As Common Dreams reported last week, many Democratic officials and pundits expressed concerns about Sanders' decision to partipate in Monday's debate, worrying that his push for Medicare for All would distract from the immediate task of defeating Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders quickly proved these warnings to be entirely unfounded, however, as he deftly weaved between discussing the necessity of defeating the GOP's deeply unpopular plan, passing short-term fixes to Obamacare, and fighting for an ambitious alternative, embodied in the Medicare for All bill he--along with 16 Democratic co-sponsors--introduced earlier this month.
Though Klobuchar is one of the Democratic senators who has not sponsored Sanders' bill, the two senators aligned in defense of Planned Parenthood, Medicaid, and key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that protect people with preexisting conditions.
"If we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"One in five women get their healthcare from Planned Parenthood. And I am strongly opposed to this bill's provisions to defund Planned Parenthood," Klobuchar said, adding also a defense of the ACA's essential benefits requirements.
Republicans, Sanders added, "want to tell 2.5 million women in the United States of America who today choose Planned Parenthood to get their healthcare they can't do that."
\u201cRepublicans talk about choice, but they want to deny millions of women the right to choose Planned Parenthood for care. #HealthCareDebate\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1506388043
While much of the debate centered around Sanders' and Klobuchar's critique of the GOP's "absurd" bill and Graham's rebuttal that Medicare for All--and even tweaks to Obamacare--amounts to creeping socialism, there was at least one point of agreement: the current healthcare system puts too much money in the pockets of massive insurance companies.
After Graham rattled off the stock increases of insurance giants like Cigna, Anthem, and Aetna, Sanders replied: "See, Lindsey, there it is. You actually said something that was right."
"This system is designed to make billions of dollars in profits for the insurance industry," Sanders concluded. "So if we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies. They do not play a role in providing healthcare. Our money should be going to doctors, to nurses, to hospitals, not to the insurance industry or, in fact, the drug industry, which is charging us by far the highest prices in the world."
Watch:
\u201cSanders says he agrees with Graham: Insurance companies are the biggest winners in current system #HealthCareDebate https://t.co/smKYQSFIIO\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1506389146
Shortly following Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) announcement that she plans to vote against the latest iteration of Trumpcare--likely dealing a death blow to deeply unpopular legislation that was already teetering on the edge of collapse--Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) piled it on the GOP Monday night in a CNN-hosted debate against the principal architects of the floundering bill, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).
"Our job as a humane society is to do a couple of things," Sanders said in the heat of a dispute with Cassidy over his bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid. "It's not to throw 30 million people off of health insurance. It's to do what every other major country on Earth does, guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. That's what we should be doing."
\u201c"Civilized society doesn't kick millions off healthcare, it expands it to all - as other wealthy nations have done" #HealthCareDebate #S1804\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1506395740
As Common Dreams reported last week, many Democratic officials and pundits expressed concerns about Sanders' decision to partipate in Monday's debate, worrying that his push for Medicare for All would distract from the immediate task of defeating Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders quickly proved these warnings to be entirely unfounded, however, as he deftly weaved between discussing the necessity of defeating the GOP's deeply unpopular plan, passing short-term fixes to Obamacare, and fighting for an ambitious alternative, embodied in the Medicare for All bill he--along with 16 Democratic co-sponsors--introduced earlier this month.
Though Klobuchar is one of the Democratic senators who has not sponsored Sanders' bill, the two senators aligned in defense of Planned Parenthood, Medicaid, and key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that protect people with preexisting conditions.
"If we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"One in five women get their healthcare from Planned Parenthood. And I am strongly opposed to this bill's provisions to defund Planned Parenthood," Klobuchar said, adding also a defense of the ACA's essential benefits requirements.
Republicans, Sanders added, "want to tell 2.5 million women in the United States of America who today choose Planned Parenthood to get their healthcare they can't do that."
\u201cRepublicans talk about choice, but they want to deny millions of women the right to choose Planned Parenthood for care. #HealthCareDebate\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1506388043
While much of the debate centered around Sanders' and Klobuchar's critique of the GOP's "absurd" bill and Graham's rebuttal that Medicare for All--and even tweaks to Obamacare--amounts to creeping socialism, there was at least one point of agreement: the current healthcare system puts too much money in the pockets of massive insurance companies.
After Graham rattled off the stock increases of insurance giants like Cigna, Anthem, and Aetna, Sanders replied: "See, Lindsey, there it is. You actually said something that was right."
"This system is designed to make billions of dollars in profits for the insurance industry," Sanders concluded. "So if we are serious about moving to a cost-effective universal healthcare, yeah, we do have to take on the insurance companies. They do not play a role in providing healthcare. Our money should be going to doctors, to nurses, to hospitals, not to the insurance industry or, in fact, the drug industry, which is charging us by far the highest prices in the world."
Watch:
\u201cSanders says he agrees with Graham: Insurance companies are the biggest winners in current system #HealthCareDebate https://t.co/smKYQSFIIO\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1506389146