
During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I‑VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D‑MA) vowed, if elected, to implement Medicare for All, which is another name for an overall single-payer, government-run healthcare system.
Joe Biden, the eventual winner of the Democratic nomination and White House over Republican incumbent Donald Trump, took a different approach. In a move to appear more centrist than his progressive opponents, the former vice president and 36-year senator from Delaware suggested he’d veto such legislation.
President Joe Biden arrives to speak about his administration’s plans to protect Social Security and Medicare and lower healthcare costs in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 9, 2023. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
Polling on a government-run healthcare system is mixed with some polls showing support, while others, such as Gallup, reveal that a majority of people (53%) still prefer a private-based system to 43% who do not. A significant majority of Republicans oppose a government-run system as does a slight majority of independents.
Recently, the Congressional Progressive Caucus released a new policy agenda. Axios noted in a headline, “Missing from progressiv …