Fox News was informed by representatives from the Harris campaign on Tuesday that despite having previously supported a universal Medicare model during her campaign efforts five years ago, the Democratic presidential nominee now has no plans to advocate for a Medicare-for-all strategy.
A spokesperson for Harris communicated to Peter Doocy of Fox News that the vice president, who had included Medicare-for-all in her agenda during the 2020 Democratic primary, will not commit to this pledge in her current campaign.
In a 2019 discussion with Doocy, Harris emphasized, “Ensuring everyone has access to healthcare is the primary goal and reason I back the ‘Medicare-for-all’ policy.” On her presidential campaign site in 2020, Harris detailed, “’Medicare-for-all’ would encompass all essential medical services, ranging from ER visits, physician appointments, to vision, dental, hearing aids, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare. It would further empower the Health and Human Services Secretary to negotiate lower prices for prescription medications.”
While serving as a California senator, Harris endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) “Medicare for All Act of 2019,” advocating for a single-payer system, which would place the onus on the government to fully cover healthcare expenses and eliminate private insurance. She supported this stance by stating, “It aligns not only with our moral and ethical duties but is also economically prudent.”
In response to a query from CNN in January 2019 regarding private health insurance, Harris boldly stated, “Let’s eliminate all that. Let’s move on.”
Karoline Leavitt, Press Secretary for the Trump campaign, criticized Harris on Wednesday, stating via a written statement, “Kamala Harris’ representatives are busy claiming she has changed her stance again—this time retracting her support for the socialist Medicare for All proposition. Kamala owes it to the electorate to clarify why she is retracting her previously held liberal policies.”
Another point of contention has been Harris’s revised stance on illegal border crossings. During her 2020 presidential run, she believed that entering the U.S. without legal documentation should not be deemed a criminal act. However, as per POLITICO, her campaign has aligned with the current administration’s view that unauthorized border crossings are illegal.
Since becoming the nominee, Harris has been elusive about her policy positions, avoiding in-depth interviews or press conferences, and her campaign has yet to outline a definitive policy agenda. The vice president mentioned last week her intentions to schedule an interview “by the end of the month.” Harris is scheduled to go head-to-head with Republican nominee Donald Trump in their first debate on September 10, broadcasted by ABC.
