(Politico)
ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN 08/02/2019 05:03 AM
Elizabeth Warren boasts she has a plan for everything, but there’s one glaring omission: health care.
Warren, who has recently leaped into the top tier of a crowded primary field as she rolled out detailed policies for seemingly everything — from climate change to the opioid crisis to breaking up tech giants — has instead embraced “Medicare for All” legislation from Sen. Bernie Sanders, her foremost progressive rival. And for many single-payer activists thrilled the once-fringe issue has entered the party’s mainstream, that’s good enough.
“Elizabeth Warren is a fierce advocate for America's working families,” said Ady Barkan, the prominent health care activist dying of ALS whose story Warren told during the debate. “Single-payer Medicare For All is what we need, so it would be counterproductive to propose something else just for the sake of being different.”
Democratic advocates and political strategists suggested there’s little upside to Warren offering her own plan right now as she and Sanders — who have sought to avoid attacking one another — chase a similar set of progressive voters. By aligning with Sanders, she can fight for a progressive priority without boxing herself in with a prescriptive plan that’s unlikely to differ much from the one he’s written.
But they say Warren will need to strike a delicate balance as the field of candidates winnows — appealing to progressives by championing single-payer health care while still presenting a clear enough alternative to Sanders.
“So far they’ve been an effective one-two punch for the direction of the party,” said Democratic strategist Andrew Feldman, who works with labor unions and progressive groups. “But once the field starts dwindling, her lack of a health care plan is going to come into more heightened focus, especially because she does have so many plans out there. There's a risk of people saying, ‘If she’s just for Bernie’s plan, why shouldn’t we just vote for Bernie?’”
Warren’s campaign did not respond to multiple questions from POLITICO about whether she intends to offer her own health care plan.
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