Incoming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOcasio-Cortez gets office two doors down from Pelosi On The Money: US, Mexico, Canada sign trade deal | Ocasio-Cortez seeks spot on House banking panel | New GOP tax bill hits roadblock Incoming House lawmakers scramble to find their new offices MORE (D-N.Y.) tweeted Saturday that she was frustrated to learn that her health-care costs would be chopped by more than half upon entering Congress, accusing her fellow lawmakers of enjoying cheap government health insurance while opposing similar coverage for all Americans.
In a tweet, the New York freshman lawmaker-elect wrote that her health care as a waitress was "more than TWICE" as high as what she would pay upon taking office as a congresswoman next month.
"In my on-boarding to Congress, I get to pick my insurance plan. As a waitress, I had to pay more than TWICE what I’d pay as a member of Congress," Ocasio-Cortez wrote Saturday afternoon.
"It’s frustrating that Congressmembers would deny other people affordability that they themselves enjoy. Time for #MedicareForAll," she added.
In my on-boarding to Congress, I get to pick my insurance plan.
As a waitress, I had to pay more than TWICE what I’d pay as a member of Congress.
It’s frustrating that Congressmembers would deny other people affordability that they themselves enjoy. Time for #MedicareForAll. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) December 1, 2018
Ocasio-Cortez is one of several progressive freshman lawmakers supportive of Medicare-for-All, a system that would extend government Medicare coverage to every American.
The plan was popularized as a major campaign platform for the 2016 presidential run of Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersTrump’s new NAFTA faces uphill battle in Congress Ocasio-Cortez: 'Frustrating' that lawmakers oppose Medicare-for-All while enjoying cheap government insurance Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren send condolences to Bush family MORE (I-VT), for whom Ocasio-Cortez served as a campaign volunteer before her own bid for Congress.
Seventy percent of Americans would support an implementation of such a system, according to a poll from Hill.TV and the Harris Polling Company in October.
--This report was updated on Dec. 2 at 5:48 a.m.
pizza_dreamer on December 2nd, 2018 at 01:43 UTC »
How absurd is it that health insurance is often tied to your employer? It's so goddamned stupid - lose your job and you lose your health insurance as a bonus. The whole system needs to be scrapped and rebuilt.
BenjaminKorr on December 2nd, 2018 at 01:04 UTC »
There's an old saying that goes something like "society prospers when old men plant trees whose shade they will never enjoy." Most of our old men are too busy uprooting trees to be bothered with planting any, so I guess it's up to the next generation.
Edit: Obligatory "thank you for the gold, kind stranger!" Let's show the boomers how it's done, consistently flexing our rights in the voting booth, and turning our nation's mighty economic engine toward the betterment of its citizens and our world's environment.
One of the most consistent arguments I get from conservative acquaintances is the idea that "if you think X is such a great idea why don't you make it happen yourself and leave the rest of us out of it?" They seem not to understand that some challenges can only be overcome by sweeping action on a national/global scale. I recycle, but that alone can't save the planet from unregulated oil fracking and coal plants.
I'm a pessimistic kinda person at heart, but young leaders we're starting to see step up are giving me cause to hope for the future.
relevantlife on December 2nd, 2018 at 00:21 UTC »