Democratic socialist and House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday touted Medicare for all as a way to save on funeral expenses, instead of spending on “unlimited war.”
During an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez railed against talking about “sticker shock” on a universal Medicare plan but not the existing health care system.
“Americans have the sticker shock of health care as it is,” said Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who won her Democratic primary in New York. “And what we’re also not talking about is why aren’t we incorporating the cost of all the funeral expenses of those who die because they can’t afford access to health care? That is part of the cost of our system. “
The Democratic star justified her stance by citing the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act as a tax. She argued Medicare for all is cheaper than what people have now.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez didn’t lay out a specific plan detailing where the funds for Medicare for all would come from but criticized spending on war and tax cuts. She argued that no one asked the Republicans how they’d pay for it.
“When it comes to tax cuts for billionaires and unlimited war, we seem to be able to invent that money very easily,” she said, “And to me, it belies a lack of moral priority that people have right now, especially the Republican Party.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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