PRESS RELEASE
Will Democrats and Trump Join Forces for Real Healthcare?
March 27, 2017 (EIRNS)—On CNN’s nationally televised "State of the Union" on Sunday morning, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent-VT), invited President Trump to "come on board" a single-payer healthcare plan. A "single-payer" plan would work as the popular Federal "Medicare" program does, paying health costs for those over 65 based on paycheck contributions made by workers and employers during one’s working life.
Sanders told CNN-TV’s Dana Bach, "I’m going to introduce a Medicare-for-all, single-payer program." Sanders has repeatedly stated his support for making the highly popular Medicare available to everyone, and getting Republicans behind it.
"Medicare for all" could help to deliver on President Trump’s pursuit of lowering prescription drug prices, Sanders said, adding that he would look to work with the White House on the legislation:
"President Trump, come on board. Let’s work together. Let’s end the absurdity of Americans paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs."
Republicans, with a 237-193 edge in the House, did not have the votes to pass House Speaker Ryan’s bill, which Sanders called "a disastrous piece of legislation."
Now, President Trump is reaching out to Democrats to get a health bill that can pass and replace Obamacare. Today, Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer told Jonathan Easley of The Hill,
"Starting Friday afternoon through late yesterday, [President Trump] has received a number of calls, as well as other members of the senior staff that have been working on healthcare, from Members of both sides, saying that they would like to work together; offer up ideas, and have suggestions about how to come to resolution on this, and get to a House vote on this."
Spicer continued,
"I think there has been a lot of outreach from Members of both sides with ideas the President is willing to listen to, and if they can come to resolution on a way forward, then obviously we are willing to listen and move forward."
"We learned a lot through this process. I think we’re obviously looking for a way that we can improve not only how we handled healthcare, but other things; how we do everything."
The U.S. House version of the "single-payer" healthcare bill, H.R. 676 has already been introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), who has sponsored it in every recent session of Congress. Conyers and others fought for it against the disastrous Obamacare.
