Democrats running for president are determined to make the 2020 election a referendum on single-payer health care. My advice: Bring it on. This is a fight President Trump and the GOP should welcome.
But in order to win, the GOP has to come to terms with its past failures, reflect on its limited successes, and chart a new course. We have to boldly define what we are for, not just what we are against, and win the hearts and minds – and trust – of voters.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Sanders reintroduced a bill that would end health care as we know it, and Americans should thank him for letting us see where the Democrats want to take the country. Its central premise appears to be that Washington bureaucrats know better than patients and doctors. But as if taking health care choices from patients isn’t bad enough, this bill also hurts seniors, eliminates private health insurance for nearly 180 million Americans, wipes out Medicare Advantage for over 22 million, and harms our economy for generations to come. It doesn’t stop there: For good measure, the bill removes critical support for children and service members’ families while providing free care to illegal immigrants.