Bernie Sanders: All Republicans do is root for ACA failure and they’re going to lose on that.

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:37 pm

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Sen. Bernie Sanders told the GOP they are going to lose on healthcare, “Republicans have nothing to say, all they can do is play the anti-Obamacare card and hope it fails. And they’re going to lose on that.”

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Sen. Sanders was asked what the Republicans next move will be to take the ACA down. He said, “They have rooted obviously from the beginning for this program to fail. What we’re seeing in various states, you mentioned California, Kentucky, New York state, what we’re beginning to see at the federal level is that this program can work. People can sign up, and get decent quality healthcare at a lower cost in many cases than was previously the case, and not unimportant that we’re going to see millions and millions of people get Medicaid. People who in some cases never in their lives had health insurance. So we’re making some progress, we’ve got to continue going forward. I think our vision has got to be a healthcare system that guarantees healthcare to all of our people at a cost we can afford.”

Later. Sen. Sanders said that the anti-Obamacare Republicans will fail, “When you have 48 million who before Obamacare had no health insurance at all, what is the Republicans’ position? What is their solution to the fact that we spend so much more than any other country? Their solution is to end Medicare as we know it. Transform it into a voucher system. Give a senior citizen $8,000 and say good luck. Make massive cuts in Medicaid, and you’re even seeing in states around the country now Republican governors whose states could have free Medicaid for three years, doesn’t cost them a nickel, for all of their low income people. They’re saying no, we don’t want it. So what is very clear about this situation is that Republicans have nothing to say, all they can do is play the anti-Obamacare card and hope it fails. And they’re going to lose on that.”

Sen. Sanders was echoing what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this summer about Obamacare being the first step towards a single payer system. Republicans don’t have anything productive to offer on healthcare.

The House Republican leadership press conference today confirmed everything that Sen. Sanders said. John Boehner made it known that he has no plans to offer an ACA alternative, or bring one to the House floor for a vote in 2014.

Sen. Sanders was correct. Republicans are going to lose on Obamacare, because they are trying to beat something with nothing. Now that the website has improved, it is obvious that the demand for affordable healthcare is still there. People want the ACA. They are signing up for it, and the biggest Republican fear is that people like Bernie Sanders are standing by ready to build on the ACA, and develop a healthcare for all system.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association