Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) said on Tuesday that she is not in favor of completely rebuilding the current health care system in the pursuit of “Medicare for All,” citing the success of ObamaCare.
“I happen to not be in the camp of supporting a Medicare for All-type plan because I don’t think that we need to blow up and deconstruct our entire medical system in order to serve our population well,” Schrier told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Jamal Simmons on “Rising.”
“I can tell you, in my district, people are really happy with the Affordable Care Act. It took five years to roll it out, and probably another five years for people to really decide that they loved it mostly because they tried to take it away,” she continued.
“At this point, shoring up what we have, making it more affordable, making sure we bring premiums down and we take on the cost of prescription drugs, I believe that’s how we go about getting universal access that is affordable and accessible,” Schrier said.
Schrier emphasized that she is “absolutely laser-focused on universal access” to health care for all Americans.
While Medicare for All has gained traction on the 2020 campaign trail among Democrats, the party’s leadership has been slow to come around to the idea.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has supported hearings on Medicare for All but has not officially voiced her support for the legislation, instead emphasizing the need to build on the Affordable Care Act.
However, the legislation got a notable endorsement from Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) on Tuesday.
— Julia Manchester
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