The idea of universal health coverage in the US is embraced by party’s left but is often considered a liability by centrists
Last week, 1,500 unionized nurses gathered in a large conference room at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco to cheer for a cause they’ve championed for years: Medicare for All.
Considered a radical and even fringe idea for decades, interest in sweeping healthcare reform has surged as progressive Democrats have won a series of primary victories ahead of...
Democrats
Reader Q&A: how united are the Democrats ahead of the US midterms? Live now
Who are the Democrats running in the midterms, and where do they stand? Our US political reporters are live now to discuss the state of the Democrats, the party’s moderate and leftwing candidates and key races to watch
Sign up or sign in to post a questionCitizen_Squared writes: After the disaster of the Trump years, the Democrats still do not have a clear message/vision/plan for ending the destruction Maga has done. Talking endlessly about affordability is not a governing vision. The polls may have the Democrats ahead for the House and Senate but thanks to extreme gerrymandering, voter restrictions and a big assist from the corrupt Supreme Court in striking out the Voting Rights Act, don’t be surprised if the gains by the Democrats are limited on election day. If that happens, the party will collapse into civil war.
David: Yes, if Democrats underperform, there are sure to be recriminations and huge pressure on Senate leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries (it’s been notable how many candidates are unwilling to endorse Schumer). But the day after the midterms will also fire the starting gun for the 2028 presidential primary, which will probably galvanising and energising. Candidates will come forward with their visions and that will take up a lot of oxygen.
Shrai: For Democrats, these midterms live in the wake of Kamala Harris’s loss in 2024. The party is still undergoing an identity crisis which these races seem to highlight. We’re seeing battleground states choose insurgent nominees who really buck the party’s establishment (see Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Troy Jackson in Maine, Angie Nixon in Florida and several other progressives in House races in New York and Colorado). But there is also a sense that this wave isn’t applicable across the board, particularly in states where we have Democrats running on more centrist platforms (see Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Chris Pappas in New Hampshire and James Talarico in Texas).
If progressive candidates aren’t successful in November it could be the cudgel that the establishment uses to advocate for moderate candidates (particularly looking ahead to 2028). If they win, however, it could be the exact proof-of-concept for the party’s direction forward, and running politicians who are pushing for ideas that might have once been considered radical (thinking about Medicare for All and higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy).
David: Affordability worked for both moderate and progressive Democrats in last year’s elections in New Jersey, New York and Virginia. I have to believe some flavor of that will be central in 2028: an understanding that the elites and the system have failed, that voters are struggling to make ends meet, that they fear their children will be worse off than they are. We’ve gone from an age of aspiration to an age of anxiety. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia has been good at tying this to Trump and “the Epstein class”. But how will Democrats fix it? It will also be fascinating to see how Democrats handle the issues of AI/datacenters and Israel.
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Tennessee’s Justin Pearson takes on America’s most contentious issues
The progressive candidate won a Democratic congressional primary after boldly staking positions on voting rights, datacenters and the US war machine
Justin Pearson and Brent Taylor win primaries for key Tennessee House seat
Justin Pearson made national headlines as one of the “Tennessee Three” – the state lawmakers expelled from the capitol protesting for gun control after a deadly school shooting. Three years later, the state representative won a Democratic c...
Trump’s $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponization’ fund scrapped, acting attorney general Todd Blanche confirms – as it happened
Blanche confirms fund set up to compensate president’s allies will not go ahead after fierce backlash and court setbacks
In six months, Adam Hamawy has gone from a political nobody to, deemed by most measures, the frontrunner in a crowded race, endorsed by prominent progressive and Democratic figures including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Tammy Duckworth.
His work history has driven him to call for Medicare for All, advocating for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel, and the abolition of ICE – and to say openly he cannot support the Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer.
CALIFORNIA: Vote today for Steve Hilton for Governor. He will work with me and the Federal Government, the money will flow because I have confidence in him (but not any of the others!), and we will MAKE CALIFORNIA GREAT AGAIN. Steve Hilton will NEVER let you down. VOTE NOW!
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We can reverse America’s decline | Bernie Sanders
It is not good enough just to criticize Trump. We must offer a positive vision that will improve the lives of Americans
At this difficult moment in American history, it’s imperative that we have the courage to be honest with ourselves.
The United States, once the envy of the world, is now a nation in profound decline. For the sake of our children and future generations, we must reverse that decline and change, in very fundamental ways, the direction of our country.
We mus...
Taxpayer dollars can’t fix what’s wrong with ObamaCare
The Affordable Care Act has become a government-regulated, government-funded system that has increased premiums, narrowed networks, and added to the national debt, while benefiting insurance giants, and Republicans must pursue bold legislative action to build an alternative system.
Republican says ‘deal can be had’ on healthcare as subsidies set to expire
Senator Bill Cassidy urges collaboration between Democrats and his party after Senate rejected dual healthcare bills
US senator Bill Cassidy said on Sunday that “there’s a deal to be had” on tackling the rising cost of healthcare, suggesting he remained optimistic over bipartisan cooperation on the issue despite the recent failure of two competing proposals in the Senate.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, the Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate healthcare commi...
Obamacare expiration will have ‘death spiral’ effect on US healthcare – experts
End of subsidies after failed legislation will have serious and damaging impact on entire sector, policy experts say
With subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance set to expire, Americans who rely on them will probably switch to plans with lower monthly premiums and high deductibles or decide not to purchase any coverage, which will have a serious and damaging impact on the entire sector, according to healthcare policy experts.
The average amount ACA plan enrollees pay annually for premiums is estimated to more than double, from an average of $888 this year to $1,904 in 2026, according to a KFF analysis.
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Senate rejects dual healthcare bills as Obamacare tax credits expiration nears
Votes came as premium tax credits for estimated 21.8 million enrollees of plans set to expire at end of month
The US Senate on Thursday rejected competing proposals to address the imminent expiration of subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, greatly increasing the chances that healthcare costs will soon rise to unaffordable levels for millions of Americans.
The votes, part of a deal brokered between Republican majority leader John Thune and the Democratic senators who agreed to reopen the government after a historically long shutdown last month, came as premium tax credits for an estimated 21.8 million enrollees of the plans are set to expire at the end of the month. Health policy research group KFF estimates that annual premiums will more than double if the subsidies are allowed to expire.
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Democrats sift through shutdown’s ashes after resistance finally breached
After 42-day standoff, government is back open – and minority party won no concessions from party in power
More than 42 days ago, beleaguered congressional Democrats employed a tactic they were not known for using – refusing to fund the government unless their demands, in this case, an extension of tax credits that lowered costs for Affordable Care Act health plans, were met.
Fast forward to Wednesday evening, and the federal government is back open, the Democrats’ resistance b...