More Moderate ‘Medicare Extra For All’ Plan Is A ‘Step’ Toward Universal Coverage, Bernie Sanders Says
The Center for American Progress' plan keeps insurers and employer-based coverage in the mix. Even though the proposal is not as all-encompassing as his, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says it shows Democrats are moving in the right direction.
The Hill:
Sanders Says New Health-Care Plan Shows Dems Moving Toward 'Medicare For All'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday that he thinks a new health-care plan from a Democratic think tank shows that the party is moving toward his position on health care. Asked if he thinks the plan from the Center for American Progress (CAP), which comes very close to Sanders’s signature idea of "Medicare for all," shows the Democratic Party is moving his way, Sanders told The Hill, "Yes, I do." (Sullivan, 3/5)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
CQ:
Blunt: Policy Issues Bedevil Labor, Health, Education Bill
Extra funding for health, education and labor programs in the fiscal 2018 omnibus package depends on whether lawmakers can iron out policy differences between the House and Senate bills, a top GOP negotiator said Monday. ... CQ reported last week that a dispute over about $3 billion in offsets known as changes in mandatory programs, or "CHIMPs," to free up more discretionary spending in the Labor-HHS-Education bill remains an outstanding issue for lawmakers working to construct a catchall omnibus spending bill for fiscal 2018. (Mejdrich, 3/5)
The Hill:
Jon Stewart Makes Capitol Hill Appearance For 9/11 Bill
Former late-night host Jon Stewart joined New York lawmakers on Monday to call on the White House to withdraw a proposal to reorganize the health-care program for 9/11 first responders. ... The Trump administration is considering a reorganization that would move the 9/11 health-care program from oversight by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a worker safety agency. (Sullivan, 3/5)
