Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI) does not support the party’s 2020 platform.
The Michigan lawmaker said on Saturday that she can’t support the Democratic National Committee (DNC) platform because it does not include a plan for a single-payer health care system.
“Today, I cast my DNC ballot and voted NO on the proposed platform,” Tlaib wrote on Twitter. “I constantly hear from constituents demanding we push for a single-payer system and away from this for-profit system that is leaving people to suffer and die just because they cannot afford health care.”
“As a party, we must push for a future where every resident has the ability to thrive. That means we need a platform that works to rid our society of oppression and greed. Unfortunately, in my view this platform does not do enough,” she wrote.
As a party, we must push for a future where every resident has the ability to thrive. That means we need a platform that works to rid our society of oppression and greed. Unfortunately, in my view this platform does not do enough. 2/2
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 16, 2020
In a photo of her ballot posted to Twitter, Tlaib voted to nominate Sanders, not Joe Biden. Tlaib had endorsed Sanders during the primaries, but he dropped out of the race in April and Biden went on to win the required number of delegates.
The Democratic platform set to be approved at the party’s convention next week includes a public option for health care, but not a single-payer “Medicare for All” proposal that progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) support.
Sanders’ supporters – known as “Bernie Bros” – could be key to a Biden win. In 2016, many stayed home as Hillary Clinton got soundly beat by President Trump. And on Sunday, Sanders sought to assuage his supporters who also aren’t happy with the Democrats’ platform.
“I would say that the overwhelming majority of progressives understand that it is absolutely imperative that Donald Trump be defeated,” Sanders said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“Obviously, there may be disagreement,” he told host George Stephanopoulos. “A lot of my supporters are not enthusiastic about Joe Biden. You know why? I ran against Joe Biden. But I think there’s an overwhelming understanding that Donald Trump must be defeated, Biden must be elected, and that the day after he is elected, we’re going to do everything we can to create a government that works for all of us.”
Sanders also expressed optimism that the battle for universal health care will continue if Biden is elected.
“We’re going to continue the fight for Medicare for all. We have a health care system today that’s dysfunctional; too many people are uninsured; too many people are underinsured; too many people are going bankrupt because of medical bills. We pay almost twice as much per capita as the people of any other country. The function of health care is to guarantee health care to all, not make huge profits for the drug companies and the insurance companies. That fight continues the day after Joe Biden is elected president,” Sanders said.
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