Democrats need to embrace Medicare for all

Campaigning for president, Trump made these statements about healthcare: “I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not…The government’s gonna pay for it.”

Meanwhile Republicans are unabashedly trying to throw millions of Americans off healthcare. It’s time the Democratic party stood up as the bold alternative by uniting behind a single-payer Medicare for all system. Democrats need to campaign for this as boldly and relentlessly as Trump called for building a wall. Let every American, regardless of how informed they are, understand that the Democratic party will deliver this basic human right.

Conservative Republicans will lament higher taxes and condemn the role of government. Insurance companies will lobby fear and disinformation. Meanwhile, Americans continue spending more than twice on healthcare compared to other developed nations that provide universal coverage. Meanwhile Americans, regardless of what party they voted for, are struggling to get by in our nation of vast wealth and income inequality.

In 1936, FDR criticized “enemies of peace” as people who put profit over citizens. He acknowledged that these enemies hated him and he “welcomed their hatred.” Democrats need the same attitude towards the profit-driven healthcare system and politicians willing to let Americans die or suffer from lack of coverage. Let us turn to Israel, a country that many Republicans believe can do no wrong, and adopt their not-for-profit healthcare system, which guarantees universal coverage for all.

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Democrats need to embrace Medicare for all."