Jayapal At Politico Summit: Medicare For All Has Never Been More Popular

One of Congress’ leading progressives, Seattle Rep. Pramila Jayapal, said support for Medicare for All is stronger than ever on Tuesday.

Jayapal, the former chair of the Progressive Caucus, said many of her Democratic colleagues are signing on as prices soar and as the party stakes a message on affordability, including Reps. Shomari Figures of Alabama, Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Sarah Elfreth of Maryland.

“Health care is still the number one cost concern for Americans,” Jayapal said at the POLITICO Health Care Summit. “You cannot be too left on health care.”

Jayapal pointed to Cuba’s system, before President Donald Trump imposed an oil embargo, as superior to America’s on numerous measures, including cancer detection.

Jayapal, long a booster of universal health care, said her team has reviewed a poll that found the overwhelming majority of Democratic voters, 90 percent, support Medicare for All. The issue has also become more popular among independents, she said. She added that 60 percent of them and 20 percent of Republicans now support it.

She said swing district voters also show less reticence about moving to a universal, government-run system.

“This situation that we have is absolutely unacceptable,” Jayapal said, referring to the state of health care. “Americans know that they want us to fix it. They don't want incremental changes.”

As Democrats in the House look to regain control after the midterm elections, Jayapal pitched major health care reforms to come. She said the party would look to roll back Medicaid cuts Republicans imposed in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.