Cory Booker & Jeff Merkley announce support for Bernie's Medicare for all

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Booker says he won't rest till he guarantees affordable healthcare for everyone. Booker also announces support for various bills about buying into Medicare/Medicaid which will be introduced soon (Medicare buy-in Murphy & Medicaid buy-in Schatz).

Booker also announced that he will be signing on to a Medicare-for-all (Single Payer) legislation this week with Bernie Sanders. He says there will be a big press conference about it this week with multiple other people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=260&v=vBrriY-BG_Q (4:20)

Guess Cory is unhappy that Kamala is overtaking him. We have atleast 2 serious very likely candidates in Harris & Booker (If you don't consider O'Malley as serious)

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Sen. Cory Booker is throwing his support behind a "Medicare for all" bill being introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), becoming the latest Democrat floated as a 2020 contender to back the legislation. The New Jersey senator told NJTV News that he would sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill, which is scheduled to be rolled out on Wednesday. "This is something that’s got to happen. ObamaCare was a first step in advancing this country, but I won’t rest until every American has a basic security that comes with having access to affordable health care," Booker told the New Jersey outlet.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/350090-booker-signs-onto-sanderss-medicare-for-all

Merkley announces he will co-sponsor 'Medicare-for-all' bill

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Monday announced he would co-sponsor the "Medicare-for-all" bill being introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “Health care should be a right for every single American, not a privilege reserved for the healthy and the wealthy," Merkley said in a statement. “Right now, our health care system is incredibly complex, fragmented, and stressful. It would be terrific to have a simple, seamless system where, solely by virtue of living in America, you know that you will get the care you need."

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/350096-merkley-announces-he-will-co-sponsor-medicare-for-all-bill

People officially for the Single Payer Bill to be introduced on Wednesday  -

Bernie Sanders
Kamala Harris
Elizabeth Warren
Cory Booker
Shelton Whithouse
Jeff Merkley

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Surprised Merkley wasn't already backing it. Also that's nice Cory.

Apparently a black man from New Jersey is more progressive than some white savior from Oregon that berniebros have latched onto instead.

You have to stop with these stupid comments. He announced his support for Single Payer many weeks ago, even before Warren & Harris. Today, he officially announced that he will be co-sponsoring the bill.

Cory Booker was the only Blue state Senator with Maria Cantwell to not support the Public Option, a fight which was led by Jeff Merkley who introduced the bill & not Bernie Sanders 2-3 years back. Merkley was the easiest vote this, even easier than Warren.

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This is huge. Cory Booker is making great moves. My opinion of him is going up and up. And no, health care isn't a "universal right", but everyone should have access to it, which is why we need Medicare for All

I think he's going to end up being totally eclipsed by Kamala Harris, who has all of his pros and very few of his cons, and generally just seems to have a better political sense of direction.

Cory Booker is way more charismatic than Kamala Harris, and unlike Harris, has actually won tough election battles. Of course, you're right that Harris will win the nomination (provided Tulsi doesn't run). I've been saying that for a long time.

Problem is Booker is like a subsidiary of the pharma industry, totally owned by them. Harris is new & doesn't have as many big pharma donors & ties like Booker has in NJ. Her act of not prosecuting Mnuchin's bank was disappointing but atleast Harris voted correctly on the drug imports one.

I feel that drug imports one has damaged Cory's record . Assuming Sanders does not run, I can see Merkley or Warren or even Harris attacking Booker on his pharma & big money ties (if the primary gets competitive).

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Sherrod :/

Stop bullying Sherrod Brown his policy proposal sounds really promising.

Buying into Medicare is a tepid policy proposal at best. These are the most unhealthy people in the market (that are not in Medicare) so the premiums wouldn't be very low. Also doesn't help much with 28M odd uninsured or the vast majority with super high premiums.  Anyways Sherrod Brown is in a tough election in 2018 & shouldn't be pushed too hard.

Brown was fighting for Single payer before Merkley or Warren. He sponsored or cosponsored a Single payer bill years back. He will do it again after being re-elected in 2018. Edward Markey, Tammy Baldwin have cosponsored HR676 before & they will do it again as well.

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Let's be honest, if Baldwin and Brown weren't up for reelection next year in states that Trump won, they'd both be cosponsoring here. Disappointing, but I get it.

Apparently someone forgot to tell Baldwin she's up for re-election.. Becomes the first vulnerable 2018 Dem to sign on.

I was wrong, good for her!

Sanders & progressives should throw their weight behind her. They have to ensure her re-election & get a strong turnout for her.

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The idea that healthcare is a right is the greatest affront to individual liberty since slavery.

How so? If anything, it increases liberty – the right to a long life, for example.

Pro-lifers opposing Universal Healthcare ehh!!!! Maybe Pope Francis should campaign for this.