Sanders praises McCain’s ‘courage’ on GOP health care bill

SAN FRANCISCO — Sen. Bernie Sanders, in a campaign-style event before thousands here, praised Sen. John McCain on Friday for opposing what Sanders called the Republican Party’s “horrific” Graham-Cassidy health care bill, but he urged his backers not to let down their guard against the GOP’s persistent efforts to repeal Obamacare.

“Thank you, John McCain,’’ Sanders told the cheering rally sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, which is backing his Medicare for All legislation in Congress. Sanders (I-Vt.) delivered the “good news” that McCain (R-Ariz.), just hours before, had announced that without a proper hearing and detailed analysis of the bill’s costs, he could not “in good conscience” back Graham-Cassidy. The bill had been expected to come to the floor of the Senate next week. Sanders lauded McCain for showing the courage and “conscience” that he said the Republican leadership has lacked.

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But even with McCain’s opposition, viewed as a potentially lethal blow to the bill, “our struggle on this legislation is not over — and our job is to continue to make sure that the Republicans do not get the 50 votes they need, which, plus the vice president’s vote, will give them a victory,’’ Sanders said.

“So please, I beg of you, get the word out,’’ Sanders told the crowd. “No Republican should vote for this disastrous bill, and if they do, they will pay a very heavy political price for that.”

Sanders spoke before a sea of signs declaring “It’s Time to Act! Medicare for All!’’ — a sentiment echoed on thousands of red T-shirts worn by nurses in the 85,000-member union who had invited him to speak at their annual convention here. The public rally in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens echoed the look and themes of his 2016 presidential campaign at times, as a fired-up Sanders argued against a litany of what he said were abuses by the Trump administration.

Calling it a “pivotal moment in American history” he said, “We have got to beat back the reactionary agenda of the Trump administration,’’adding that its goals were “designed to benefit the billionaire class and to ignore the needs of the 99 percent.”

“We’re going to defeat this disastrous GOP bill — and then we go on to pass Medicare for All,’’ he said to chants of “Bernie! Bernie!” and “Run, Bernie, Run!”

“Our message to the Trump administration is, you are not going to divide us up, we are going to stand together, and we are going to defeat you,’’ he said.

Sanders’ San Francisco appearance was the focus of some concern by Democrats worried that the senator’s role as the lead proponent of a single-payer health care system — and as the star of a major rally to push the concept — could draw attention away from what many considered a critical and more immediate threat from the Obamacare repeal bill, which analysts said could to take away health care from millions.

In an earlier town hall-style meeting in San Francisco, Sanders said his priorities were clear.

“We have an immediate crisis,” he said. “We have to do everything we can in the next several weeks to defeat this horrific Republican proposal.”

Democrats in support of a Medicare for All system, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, strongly defended Sanders’ appearance Friday. He said the senator — and proponents of single-payer health care — were thoroughly capable of managing two major political points simultaneously.

“This whole idea that we can only do one thing at a time is insulting, not just absurd,’’ Newsom said. He defended Sanders as not interested solely in “playing defense,’’ and said he should be praised for trying to “advance a principle that’s been advanced around the world successfully.’’

Democrats “need an offensive strategy,’’ Newsom said. “We can do both.”

Chuck Idelson, spokesman for the nurses union, agreed, insisting, “No member of the Senate or House has done more across the country to oppose the mean-spirited, draconian bills obsessively pushed by the House and Senate this year than Senator Bernie Sanders.”

He said that “instead of parroting the attacks on Senator Sanders by the GOP and corporate wing of the Democratic Party,” critics should note that Sanders is scheduled to debate both Republican sponsors of the repeal bill on CNN Monday night, and has traveled to red states around the country to get out the message about what he called the Republican Party’s damaging efforts to replace Obamacare.