Fifteen Democrats in the Senate and 70 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signaled support for Medicare for All legislation. (Photo: Shutterstock)
As the federal government has veered right under the leadership of President Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress, grassroots activists have pushed Democratic candidates to the left.
Perhaps no trend better reflects the impact of an emboldened progressive movement than the increasing number of Democratic elected officials and candidates who have endorsed “Medicare For All,” the single-payer health care proposal made famous by Bernie Sanders.
Fifteen Democrats in the Senate and 70 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signaled support for Medicare for All legislation authored by Sanders. The bill will go nowhere as long as Congress is under GOP control, but the burgeoning support for the cause raises the prospect that it could have a chance of passage if Democrats regain control of the federal government at some point in the not-so-distant future.
In all likelihood, the next Congress will include even more Medicare for All supporters.
Support comes not just from deep blue areas, such as the New York City district carried by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described socialist who ousted Democratic incumbent Joseph Crowley in a primary in August. It is also coming in moderate or conservative parts of the country, including in Texas, where Rep. Beto O'Rourke is mounting a surprisingly strong challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz, buoyed by an enthusiastic support from the liberal grassroots.
Nearly all Democrats with presidential aspirations have endorsed the idea, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand. Former President Barack Obama, who many on the left criticized for not pushing hard for a major ambitious overhaul of the health care system, has also reflected positively on the increasing number of candidates making the case for single-payer.
And yet, the party is far from united behind the idea. There are still plenty of centrist Democrats who believe the idea is unrealistic. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona, does not support the proposal but nevertheless triumphed over a more liberal primary challenger.
Other Democrats who are fighting to hold onto their seats in Republican-leaning states, such as Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have also steered clear of the policy.
While some polls have shown strong support for the idea among voters, polling has also generally shown that many voters will back off the idea if they are told how much it costs or if they're told that it would lead them to lose their current private insurance.
Read more about the impact will midterms have on health care:
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