Sanders draws red lines on Medicare expansion, drug pricing plan in spending bill

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Tuesday that a deal on President Biden’s spending bill must expand Medicare and include a plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs.

“Bottom line is that any reconciliation bill must include serious negotiations on the part of Medicare with the pharmaceutical industry, lower the cost of prescription drugs. That's what the American people want,” Sanders said.

He added that a “serious reconciliation bill must include expanding Medicare to cover dental, hearing aids and eyeglasses.”

Sanders’s decision to draw red lines, while speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, underscores the headache facing Democratic leadership as they try to reach a deal that can unify their various factions.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/578468-sanders-serious-spending-bill-must-include-medicare-expansion-drug-pricing

---

"a deal on President Biden’s spending bill must expand Medicare and include a plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs"

Or what?

[Budi]

1. Or, "nothing's better than something".

Biden's bill was always carefully written in it's original form.
How bout stop with the populist media posturing & pass that one.

At this rate, I predict we get nothing.
Becaue to some, 2 tr is nothing.

[BradAllison]

20. Do you ultimately support Medicare expansion?

And dental care for seniors?

Simple yes or no?

Are you really bothered by the pricetag?

Really?

[Rollo]

34. Even if the Medicare/Dental got the nod, it still wouldn't take effect until 2018.

At least that's what I've read of the original proposal.

[BradAllison]

43. That's why it's idiotic this is so traumatic to people "in the Democratic party" in 2022. n/m

[betsuni]

35. How did "something is better than nothing" get turned into an insinuation that

the poster doesn't support Medicare expansion and dental care for seniors, is a right-winger concerned about the price tag or something? Really? Why? What's the point?

[George II]

37. Do you think nothing is better than something? Simple yes or no.

[BradAllison]

40. I'm starting to believe some here actively prefer the "something" to what....

...will pull us from the morass we are marching towards actively and at warp speed.

[George II]

41. Isn't something better than nothing, as long as the "something" is still more than ever proposed?

[BradAllison]

42. Maybe ten years ago.

We are losing ground. We went too far to the right for far too long.

[George II]

44. It's obvious that the bill isn't going to be $3.5T, so you'd prefer it get voted down and it be $0?

You do realize if that happens the House and Senate will flip to the republicans next year and

By the way, most people agree that the country has gone to the left over the past several years, including the White House.

[BradAllison]

45. I care about people being helped. That's my fault.

Not politicians who aren't even up for election in 2022 (and probably won't run) actively lying and "being fine" with a half assed bill that won't solve the mounting real life issues Joe Biden and our party will have to answer for in 2024.

I'm sorry you prefer that other Joe. I'm sorry you prefer that price tag. Your last sentence gives you away.

[George II]

46. Give me away as what, a pragmatic American?

[BradAllison]

47. "Country gone left"

You really think that?

Really?

Maybe I'm misreading. I think that's a positive.

You?

[George II]

48. Bernie Sanders thinks so.

[BradAllison]

49. People you take at face value think Joe Biden is a socialist.

Just by being a Democrat.

Is that what you see as "being pragmatic"?

[George II]

50. What's your point Brad?

[BradAllison]

51. It's okay to be on the left

The programs your guy Manchin is openly rejecting are popular with everyday people (you gonna give me the polls are bullshit line? Save it George, please). They are dismissed just because the Republican party and "moderates" want to to push a phony narrative. "Bernie Sanders" is a boogeyman they, and unfortunately you time and time again feed right into.

I'm sorry if that's "the country moving to the left" for ya. I'm sorry a mediocre politician needs it to defend a seat he's never running for again.

[George II]

52. Sorry, I don't understand all that you're saying there. Again, what's your point?

[BradAllison]

53. The policies you are 100% against are popular

I'm sorry I can't dumb it down for you any more. Screaming "but the price tag!!!!" makes no impression on me. I've never been a Susan Collins/John Kasich guy.

[George II]

54. Where have I said I was 100% against ANY policies? Why misrepresent anything that I said?

In fact, in this discussion you've been more against any of these policies than I have because you think nothing is better than something. I've said the complete opposite.

[JoeOtterbein]

2. Good!

Bernie is standing up for what is morally correct and politically smart!

[NurseJackie]

4. Lulz.

No this is not good. There's nothing moral about intentionally sabotaging a bill. It's not politically smart either. The all-or-nothing mentality is one that will always fail. There's no victory to be claimed in being the one to torpedo legislation that gets us closer to what we want and that puts us in a better position than we were last week. This is a short-sighted strategy.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. I'm don't see Sanders threatening to sabotage the bill

Sanders is only saying what he feels the bill “must” contain- I’m not seeing any overt threat to vote no, unlike Manchin or Sinema, who have said repeatedly they can’t/won’t vote for a bill if has various elements included.

[NurseJackie]

12. Yes... I'm sure that's what "drawing a red line" means.

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Just drawing a distinction between two very different messages

Sanders: “Medicare expansion must be in the bill”

Manchin: “I won’t support a bill with (climate change, Medicare, etc) in it”

See the difference?

The “Red Line” language is the Hill’s hyperbolic rhetoric to get clicks, not Sanders’ own words.

Why does Manchin get to have the power to dictate the contents of the bill, and 48 senators do not? Each Senator has equal power to make or break this deal.

[NurseJackie]

18. I think you already know the answer to that.

Why does Manchin get to have the power to dictate the contents of the bill, and 48 senators do not? Each Senator has equal power to make or break this deal.

I think you already know the answer to that. Or are you arguing that every Senator should threaten to torpedo the deal because it's not perfect? Are you arguing that the pissing contest between those two senators should continue until the thing absolutely falls apart (and we have nothing to show for it except two very wet politicians)? What good purpose would that serve?

See the difference?

Yes, I see the difference. And I'd hope that responsible politicians "see the difference" too and stop playing games that make the perfect the enemy of the not-half-bad and a shit-ton better than what we had before we started. Why would any reasonable person start trying to fuck it up now?

Sanders: “Medicare expansion must be in the bill”

The threat is implicit, and The Hill understood it as easily as I do. It's all the same. They're simply calling it what it is. Why do otherwise? He's followed through with threats like that in the past, you know. Shouldn't we take Sanders at his word? Should we not take his threats seriously? Why say something like that if he's not prepared to back-it-up or follow-through?

That's all I want to know. It's a reasonable question to ask.

[George II]

38. When one draws a "red line", it means it's a line that he's not willing to allow being crossed.

[Fiendish Thingy]

39. Sanders never said the words "red line"; that was created by The Hill's headline/click bait writer.

[NurseJackie]

68. He didn't need to. His meaning was clear...

... even if intentionally vague. There's no doubt to intelligent observers what he's saying. The Hill didn't make anything up, but they did do a good job of clearly spelling it out for the rest of the casual readers. The headline is accurate. He's done it before so there's no reason to doubt he'll do it again.

[jimfields33]

6. What's good about starting dental in 2028?

Why’s that not asked by the media?

[Fiendish Thingy]

27. Who said anything about 2028? Nt

[jimfields33]

30. It's all over the place.

[Fiendish Thingy]

31. If that's true, then please post a link. Nt

[jimfields33]

32. One of many. Picked this because it's a dental association support site

https://www.cda.org/Home/News-and-Events/Newsroom/Article-Details/congress-is-pursuing-a-medicare-dental-benefit-heres-what-to-know

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. Speculation and conjecture- hardly "all over". Nt

[KPN]

3. Bernie's right to take a strong position and stand his ground on this. Fifty years of right leaning

economic policy can't be fixed without strong will given the role of money in American legislating/governance. Somebody's go to do it. Settling for less results in less long run -- one step forward. two steps back for 50 years now. Sorry if that upsets moderate and conservative Dems, but that's a valid perspective.

[NurseJackie]

5. Something is better than nothing. This is just a political tantrum that serves no good purpose.

Sorry if that upsets moderate and conservative Dems, but that's a valid perspective.

Threatening to torpedo Biden's agenda because it's not perfect is not "a valid perspective".

This type of showboating and grandstanding will fail. And if he's able to successfully sabotage any progress at all, then that only helps the Republicans. Why would anyone do anything that weakens and divides Democrats and that helps Republicans?

[PoliticAverse]

10. "Threatening to torpedo Biden's agenda" - the things Sanders is advocating is "Biden's agenda". n/t

[comradebillyboy]

14. Right you are. No good will come of this. nt

[Torchlight]

23. While I agree that something is better than nothing, I disagree with calling it a tantrum

Or that it's grandstanding (at least, conscious grandstanding). Sen. Sanders has remained consistent on these issues and his stubbornness (as I type this, I can hear my grandfather calling it 'mulish' in my head) on these issues should not come as a surprise.

Obstinate? Absolutely. But not so much grandstanding, as I think the attention he gets from this is water on a duck's back. What I do think is that Sen Sanders' personal (sincere) convictions take a much greater priority to him than that of the moving the necessary legislation forward.

So I want to pat him on the back with the one hand for remaining sincere and true to his convictions at the expense of all else, and I want to whop the back of his head with my other hand for stalling, if not acting as an indirect agent of defeat, in passing the legislation so desperately needed by so many people.

[NurseJackie]

25. I think that just about covers everything!

Great username. Welcome to DU!

[Fiendish Thingy]

28. Sanders statement isn't a tantrum, showboating or sabotage

Compared to Manchin and Sinema’s nonsense, it’s nothing more than a sincere, reasoned plea for a decent bill that actually benefits people.

[NurseJackie]

29. He's making a threat.

Any politician who chooses "nothing" after making an all-or-nothing mandate isn't actually being reasonable and it's not doing anything that benefits people. It's grandstanding and it's intended to make Biden, Democrats, and Democratic leadership look "weak" or ineffective... when the reality is that this is how politics works. Nobody gets EVERYTHING they want, and there's always going to be give-and-take, compromise, and trying to find common ground. This approach is a mistake when we're this close to the finish line.

[quakerboy]

74. Take it up with Manchin

You know.. the dude who has been repeatedly torpedoing Bidens agenda. And repeatedly helping Republicans.

[Traildogbob]

7. Bernie is standing for what's right

The way we are heading, there will be nothing for seniors, by the way who have paid taxes for decades, or for any body that decided NOT to be a part of the exploding population. Eliminate expanding Medicare, and drug prices. Both of these groups are a large percentage of voters. If ya make babies, many of em, you are gonna be good. Even if ya have not paid taxes more than a few years. How about, eliminating the taxes on SS Reagan created to cover his tax breaks for rich. Manchin is determined to fuck seniors, Bernie is fighting for those that have paid their whole lives, to get a little back from that.

[JoeOtterbein]

9. +1000! nt

[KPN]

15. +++++++

[ColinC]

11. A good faith line to draw against bad faith negotiators.

[JohnSJ]

13. Exactly

[George II]

16. That's exactly my question. Sunday President Biden met with Majority Leader Schumer...

...and Senator Manchin at his home in Delaware. He was conspicuously absent.

If the bill doesn't include those things will he vote against it?

[NurseJackie]

19. "If the bill doesn't include those things will he vote against it?"

If the bill doesn't include those things will he vote against it?

I think that's highly likely. Rather than a face to face meeting (or a phone call) these types of public threats (whether direct or implicit) leave the threat-maker with very little wiggle room when it comes to not following-through on the "or-else". It's always a mistake to use the press like that, when a phone call or memo or meeting would suffice.

He was conspicuously absent.

I know, that was weird. Did he decline the invitation? Was he invited at all? Did someone feel that his presence would be a distraction or too antagonistic? We may never know the answer to those questions, but I'm certain that many people have their own ideas about what transpired.

[BradAllison]

22. Will Joe Manchin stump for Tim Ryan?

That's a better question

Stumping for Senate Democrats is bad for Joey M's power.

You admit that, right George?

Even you HAVE to admit that right???

[George II]

24. That's an entirely different subject. I have an idea, post an OP about it to see what people think.

[NurseJackie]

26. That's a good idea!

[Violet_Crumble]

55. Oh, yes. Can't have more than one idea floating round in any one thread n/t

[NurseJackie]

56. The best ideas deserve their own OP. Others just languish and die...

Can't have more than one idea floating round in any one thread n/t

The best ideas deserve their own OP. Others just languish and die... hidden in the jumble. I wonder which that one will become.

[Violet_Crumble]

57. That's an idea. You should go and start a new thread about it n/t

[NurseJackie]

58. It wasn't an idea. It was an observation.

That's an idea.

Actually, it wasn't an idea. It was an observation. Fortunately, I can tell the difference.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

61. Seems you can't.

[NurseJackie]

62. At long last, reinforcements have arrived.

Hello, again!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

63. Sounds like you should make a thread about it.

TBH.

[NurseJackie]

64. Actually, it was funnier the first time.

Not so much now, tbh.

Welcome back! Good to see you again.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

65. Still funny.

You're just not the target audience.

[NurseJackie]

66. I have higher standards.

It's clever once. A lack of imagination leads to copying and repetitiveness.

So glad you've joined us again! It's been a minute.

[Violet_Crumble]

71. Really? That's a bit of a surprise..

Hate to break the news to you, but it wasn't clever the first time. It was a tedious and done-to-death tactic favoured in the I/P forum for years by those who don't want to answer any questions or engage in discussion...

[Violet_Crumble]

70. So? The person you told to start a new thread had a question, not an idea...

Here's a very genuine suggestion for you. Stop ordering other DUers around and try to engage in some genuine discussion of the issues. I observe US politics with interest, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to learn a whole lot from your posts.

[NurseJackie]

72. I never told anyone to start a new thread.

The person you told to start a new thread had a question,

Actually... I never told anyone to start a new thread.

but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to learn a whole lot from your posts.

You're right about that.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

60. A+

That made me laugh. The Manchin PAC pretzel logic needs to be dismantled and it's actually fairly easy because it lacks logic of any sort other than FUD.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

36. Or what? Why, folks who aren't rich enough to afford medicine can eat cake.

That always works.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

59. At this rate the bill will be nothing more than renaming a bridge in West Virginia.

And the usual suspects will still attack Sanders and say "we can add that later". Still waiting on the public option to be added. Sanders is fighting for Biden's agenda and he's the bad guy. Serious FUD efforts going on.

[myohmy2]

67. thank you, Bernie...

...'nothing' is better than 'something' if the 'something' is 'crap' dictated by conservatives,,,

...IMO, we're all in this together...ANY key provision MISSING and the thing should fail...

...what's the alternative?...forcing Progressives to defend 'crap' to their people?...again next year?...also putting out 'crap' then forcing Progressives to reject it is unacceptable...

...Progressives will become the bad guys when it's the conservatives that are fucking this thing up...

...and it's just plain wrong to have two conservatives dictated to us what's acceptable...

...Progressives have no choice but to reject a 'crap' plan and to strongly hold their ground...

...we need to stop worrying about next year and make the most of the opportunity we could have now...

...if you're a Progressive, hang in there...

...

[hamsterjill]

69. Good for Bernie!!!!

A thousand times - good for Bernie.

The very idea that ANY Democrat would oppose health care for seniors is deplorable and needs to be exposed.

“Oh, we won’t get anything then”???? Cry me a river. You don’t get anything unless you insist on it. So good for Bernie for standing up!

[Calista241]

73. So it would appear this crosses Manchin's red line.

One of them is going to have to give up to pass a bill. I wonder who it’ll be and how it will happen.

[quakerboy]

75. Manchins lines keep moving

And it would appear he will keep moving them as many times as it takes to kill Biden's proposals and the Democratic agenda.

Bernie is kinda irrelevant to the process, in all reality.