Ocasio-Cortez: ‘Frustrating’ that lawmakers oppose ‘Medicare for all’ while enjoying cheap government insurance

Incoming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted Saturday that she was frustrated to learn that her health-care costs would be chopped by more than half upon entering Congress, accusing her fellow lawmakers of enjoying cheap government health insurance while opposing similar coverage for all Americans.

In a tweet, the New York freshman lawmaker-elect wrote that her health care as a waitress was “more than TWICE” as high as what she would pay upon taking office as a congresswoman next month.

{mosads}”In my on-boarding to Congress, I get to pick my insurance plan. As a waitress, I had to pay more than TWICE what I’d pay as a member of Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote Saturday afternoon.

“It’s frustrating that Congressmembers would deny other people affordability that they themselves enjoy. Time for #MedicareForAll,” she added.

In my on-boarding to Congress, I get to pick my insurance plan.

As a waitress, I had to pay more than TWICE what I’d pay as a member of Congress.

It’s frustrating that Congressmembers would deny other people affordability that they themselves enjoy. Time for #MedicareForAll.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 1, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez is one of several progressive freshman lawmakers supportive of “Medicare for all,” a system that would extend government Medicare coverage to every American.

The plan was popularized as a major campaign platform for the 2016 presidential run of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), for whom Ocasio-Cortez served as a campaign volunteer before her own bid for Congress.

Seventy percent of Americans would support an implementation of such a system, according to a poll from Hill.TV and the Harris Polling Company in October.

— This report was updated on Dec. 2 at 5:48 a.m.