Bernie Sanders: American People Now Understand Healthcare Is Not a Job Benefit, It Is a Human Right’

Wednesday on “MSNBC Live,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) continued his push to have universal healthcare in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The self-described Democratic socialist argued healthcare should not be a job benefit that people can lose if they are out of employment, saying it is a “human right.”

“You know, Stephanie, if there’s any silver lining in this horrible moment in American history, it is I think the belief that we take a deep breath and we ask ourselves how did we get to where we are? And where we want to go when this pandemic is over,” Sanders stated. “I would focus on two issues: Number one, how does it happen that we have a healthcare system uniquely in the industrialized world which ties your healthcare to your job? So, tens of millions of people have lost their jobs, and they also lose their healthcare. In my view, and I think the American people now understand, healthcare is not a job benefit, it is a human right that exists whether you’re working, you’re not working, you’re old, you’re young, you’re rich or you’re poor. That’s first of all. Major lesson — health care cannot simply be an employees benefit. We need to move to Medicare for All.”

“We need to provide economic security for all of the people in this country,” he added. “You’ve got a job, you’re going to earn a living wage, not a stavation wage. You’re an American, you’re getting healthcare as a human right. You don’t have to go $100,000 in debt to get a college education. You can live in dignity when you retire. Is that radical? You know what, I don’t think so. It exists actually in many countries in the world, already. But those are some of the questions we’re going to have to ask.”

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