Sen. Bernie Sanders (I,. Vt.) said "I speak only for myself" in his opening statement of the CNN debate Monday about wanting to guarantee health care as a right.
"Long-term, in my view—I speak only for myself—this country has got to join the rest of the industrialized world, guarantee health care as a right for all people," Sanders said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D,. Minn.) joined Sanders for the debate against Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C) and Bill Cassidy (La.), who have co-authored a bill to replace Obamacare.
Sanders is currently spearheading efforts for a single-payer healthcare plan under the name "Medicare for all." The idea of single-payer healthcare has gained traction in the senate with many of his colleagues, including rumored 2020 contenders, joining his push.
Sanders has said he will not join the Democratic Party during his 2018 reelection bid, claiming the Democratic Party model is "obviously not working."
Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.) Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) have all signed on to support Sanders’ single-payer bill, in spite of party leaders like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) expressing opposition to the policy.
Sanders said in the debate Monday and through a tweet that he does not see Medicare-for-all as an extreme idea.
I don't think Medicare for all is an extreme idea. Every other major country on Earth guarantees health care as a right. #HealthCareDebate
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 26, 2017
"I don't think Medicare for all is an extreme idea" the tweet read. "Every other major country on Earth guarantees health care as a right."
The Republican National Committee recently released a video highlighting the global failures of a single-payer healthcare system.