Booker joins Bernie Sanders' crusade

WASHINGTON  -- U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is backing single-payer health insurance, joining a crusade led by U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders, a potential rival in 2020.

Booker, D-N.J., said he would co-sponsor Sanders' "Medicare for All" legislation in which the government rather than private insurers would provide health coverage.

"Health care should be an American right, not a mark of economic status out of reach to many just because they don't make enough money," Booker wrote on Medium.

"That's why I support Medicare for All," which he called "the best way to ensure that every American finally has access to quality, affordable health care."

Booker opposed Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with legislation that the Congressional Budget Office said would leave more than 20 million additional Americans without health coverage. The repeal effort failed by one vote in the Senate.

Booker supported Sanders' rival for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

He later refused to back the Vermont senator's proposal to allow the importation of drugs from other countries, citing safety concerns.

Booker and Sanders later teamed up on legislation that would allow drug importation, which is designed to lower prices on pharmaceuticals, that included certain safety provisions.

Both senators are among those mentioned as potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Two others, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., also said they would co-sponsor Sanders' legislation.

Booker gained national attention for his well-received speech at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016 and has been campaigning around the country for fellow Democrats.

In the House, three New Jersey lawmakers, -- Reps. Albio Sires, R-8th Dist.; Donald Payne Jr., D-10th Dist.; and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist. -- are among the 118 Democrats sponsoring similar legislation.
