Sanders pushes his own Medicare proposal

INDIANOLA — Several Democratic presidential candidates were in Iowa over the weekend, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who ended four-day swing through the state with a town hall in Indianola on Sunday.

Sanders said his Medicare For All proposal will be better for middle class Americans than those of his Democratic competitors.
“For all my critics who don’t want to take on the healthcare industry, you go tell your constituents that Bernie’s proposal will cost the average American worker $1,200 a year. Their proposal will cost $12,000 dollars a year,” Sanders says. “I think we got the better deal here.”

Sanders spent much of the town hall taking questions from the audience. Natalie Harwood, of Windsor Heights, attended the event and says she and her spouse caucused for Sanders four years ago. While they started this year undecided, Harwood says they’ll support Sanders again in 2020.

“Every issue that matters to me, other candidates equivocate on it, cave on it, walk comments back,” Harwood says. “Like, ‘Oh, I cosponsored Medicare For All but, just kidding, I don’t think it’s actually a priority.’ Or, ‘I think a public option is fine.’ It doesn’t really feel like they understand what people are facing.” Harwood says healthcare is one of her top issues in the presidential race. There are 56 days until the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses.