Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) said on Sunday the United States needs universal health care in response to a federal judge's ruling that struck down the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional.
On Friday, a federal judge ruled that Obamacare's individual mandate was unconstitutional and the rest of the law could therefore not stand.
"Face the Nation" host Margret Brennan asked Klobuchar if Democrats should now move to push Medicare for all.
"You heard some disagreement among Republicans how to do that, also disagreement within the Democratic Party on how to handle health care. Former Attorney General Eric Holder says it's time now to move to some version of Medicare for all and end this nonsense," Brennan said. "Do you agree with him?"
"We need universal health care," Klobuchar said. "There are many ways to get there. That is one of them. The other is to at least expand Medicare to age 55. There's a number of bills that I'm part of, including allowing expansion of Medicaid, which I think is something we're not talking enough about, that [Democratic] Senator Schatz from Hawaii is leading."
The judge's ruling will likely be appealed, and it will take months before the courts make a final decision.
Klobuchar added that the ruling by the judge is "absurd" and that the Supreme Court has already ruled on Obamacare.
"The ruling was absurd. Justice Roberts, in conservative Court, has already ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, unlike what Mr. Miller said. And in fact, you can have part of it not exist and you can still have the rest of it protect Americans. And that is exactly where this is headed."
More and more Democrats have been coming out in favor of Medicare for all or something similar, especially Democrats who are thinking about running in 2020. Klobuchar has yet to support Medicare for all, but her call for universal health care is one step closer to it.