Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) pushed back against House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s (D-NY) more cautious approach to healthcare, arguing that Democrats should make “Medicare for All” a central part of their economic agenda.
“Medicare for all is arguably the most important priority,” Khanna said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. “It would save money, and it would save lives.”
Khanna’s comments come after Jeffries emphasized Democrats’ efforts to make healthcare more affordable, including restoring tax credits from the Affordable Care Act. Jeffries vowed to reverse cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies should Democrats retake the House majority in November.
Jeffries has argued that Democrats should focus on lowering costs for Americans while protecting access to healthcare, saying, “I haven’t co-sponsored the “Medicare for All” legislation that has been introduced over the last several years; I do think we need to figure out how to fix our broken healthcare system and then build something better.”
Khanna argued that the current healthcare system is contributing to financial hardship for working Americans, saying rising insurance costs are suppressing wages and forcing families into debt. Khanna also pointed to what he described as historically low worker income growth, arguing that rising health insurance expenses are partly responsible.
“We know that the average income of workers is 43%. It’s the lowest it’s ever been since 1929,” Khanna said. “One of the reasons is because of exploding health insurance. Medicare for all would increase wages.”
RO KHANNA PUSHES MEDICARE FOR ALL, FREE COLLEGE, FREE TRADE SCHOOL AGENDA
Khanna said medical costs remain a major source of financial insecurity, particularly for Americans diagnosed with serious illnesses. “You talk to folks, and they’ll say, ‘the biggest thing that pushes me into bankruptcy is if someone gets cancer, and I can’t afford the bills,’” he said.
Khanna ultimately described healthcare costs as “the single biggest roadblock in our economic system,” putting him at odds with the more incremental approach emphasized by Democratic leadership.