Ace Breaking News – Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover Reinstating the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, reversing the Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts and even making progress toward Medicare for All are on the table as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January The Hill reports
While ObamaCare tax credits and Medicaid will be low hanging fruit in the party’s legislative agenda, Democratic leaders will have to navigate tensions between progressives itching to pursue Medicare for All and moderates who want more incremental change.
“We’re going to fight hard to make sure that we can ensure that every single American can afford to go see a doctor when they need one,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), likely to be the next House speaker, said during a victory speech Tuesday.
“We will fight for your hospitals. We will fight for your nursing home. We will fight for your community-based health clinics. And we’re going to fight to reverse these painful Medicaid cuts.”
But without a 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, passing legislation following through on pledges to lower costs will be difficult. In addition, attempts to roll back or even delay President Trump’s sweeping Medicaid cuts will likely be met with a veto from the White House — if it gets that far.
Still, Americans are facing a health care affordability crisis, and Democrats recognize a need to go bold to fix it. Some new Democratic Senate winners from election night, such as Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and Maine’s Troy Jackson, are supporters of Medicare for All.
When it became evident Tuesday night Democrats were headed for a major takeover, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote on social media, “WHO WANTS MEDICARE FOR ALL?”
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said in a statement his panel “will create a new foundation for America’s health care system that Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover, gives Americans cheaper and better health care, and ends the corporate chokehold on our nation’s health care system.”
In the House, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) launched a bid to chair the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Democrats must relentlessly pursue an agenda that puts working people first and focuses on resolving the outrageous price increases that are making it impossible for families to make ends meet,” Pallone said in a statement. “Over the last two years, Republicans have driven up the cost of virtually everything and imposed the largest health care cuts in history – stripping health care from millions, forcing people to pay more for less, and shuttering hospitals.”
Pallone also pledged to advance policies that lower costs and “expand access to quality and affordable health care.”
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