Senate Democrats got their chance to vote on the only idea they’ve put forward in the health care debate this afternoon – a government-run, single-payer plan touted by liberals like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. And in a display of just how disinterested Senate Democrats are in actually governing, not a single Democrat voted yes.
Just last month, Massachusetts liberal Elizabeth Warren encouraged Democrats to campaign on a single-payer plan, despite its estimated $32 trillion price tag. The amendment voted on mirrored the language in the single-payer bill introduced in the House by Rep. John Conyers, which was cosponsored by 115 House Democrats. Single-payer has long been touted by Senate liberals, including Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, and Tammy Baldwin, but when given the opportunity to go on the record in support of an actual plan, Democrats showed how unserious they truly are, rejecting their own plan.
“Senate Democrats had the opportunity to put their money where their mouths are and vote for their own government-run health care plan, and they promptly went into hiding,” said NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin. “Today’s vote should dispel any notion that Democrats have any interest in working to fix our broken health care system.”