Harris’ pronouncement that day that she was endorsing Bernie Sanders’ left-wing prescription for fixing the nation’s health care system would turn out to be one of the most consequential moments of the 2020 presidential primary. A week after the town hall, Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced her support for Sanders’ bill. A few days after that, Sen. Jeff Merkley joined in. The next day, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Al Franken and Cory Booker got on board.
By Sept. 13 — just two weeks after Harris’ town hall — all of them, along with several other senators and progressive activists, surrounded Sanders at a Capitol Hill news conference and talked about how “proud” they were to co-sponsor his legislation to upend the health care industry.
“Kamala’s decision started a stampede,” said a 2020 campaign operative familiar with the talks to enlist support for the bill in 2017.
But what seemed like a bold stroke for the senators at the time would come back to haunt many of them. Warren has spent months tied up on single-payer, sliding in polls as she’s struggled to explain her stance. Harris equivocated after her initial declaration, reinforcing nagging questions about her core beliefs. She dropped out of the race on Tuesday. The only person who hasn’t budged is Sanders himself.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member