This past Sunday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and asked something the American people are wondering, “What the heck do the Democrats stand for?” While this is a pertinent question across the board, as Democrats continue their identity crisis, it is especially relevant to health care, where the party’s left wing appears ready to go to war for single-payer.
While many Democrats are content to fight to maintain the failed status quo of Obamacare, a growing faction is pushing for a full government takeover of our health care system. Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders, a long-time supporter of single-payer, has been holding a series of health care rallies, and plans to introduce legislation outlining a government-run health care system. And in California, liberal activists are pushing the legislature to enact a state-based single payer plan. But, despite strong support from the liberal base, both of these plans face strong headwinds due to their being completely economically unsustainable. The cost of Sanders’ plan is estimated at $32 trillion over a ten year period. The annual cost of the California plan was estimated at $330-$400 billion, and has now been shelved, angering advocates.
Despite the very real economic and political problems with single-payer, liberals are determined to make it a defining policy for Democrats. DNC Vice Chairman Keith Ellison recently said that Democrats should run on the issue in 2018, and Democrat strategists suggest that it could become a litmus test for Democrat candidates. Sounds like a winning strategy for the ten Trump state Democrats running for reelection in 2018!