Senator Cory Booker surprised and delighted some outspoken progressives when he recently appeared on The View. He addressed pressing health care topics but deftly sidestepped a query about his long-term prospects as Senate Minority Leader. The segment was successful in spurring public dialogue not just about what has been happening in terms of leadership changes, but what can happen under our current healthcare policies.
During the entire discussion, Booker focused in on one important 2017 moment. That’s when Senator John McCain cast his dramatic, pivotal vote to maintain the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. That’s exactly why he wanted to emphasize that vote. He reiterated that, “20 million Americans would have immediately lost their healthcare” had McCain voted in a different direction. Her comment was a telling reflection of Booker’s resolve to save healthcare access for tens of millions of Americans.
Booker’s historic 25-hour long filibuster, protesting the actions of the Trump administration, is still a high-water mark of his tenure. On Get Up with Mike Greenburg, he norm-shamed the filibuster. He claimed it was an important counterweight to extreme, anti-healthcare policies that would endanger care for millions. He cautioned that if this trajectory does not change, “80, 90 million Americans that lose healthcare” will come true.
Booker’s passionate retelling of the filibuster. He aimed to smash the establishment with McCain’s brave vote as an example, talking a lot about how “real Americans … went up to Senators and … spoke truth to power.” He continued, “In those days, I wish I could tell you that it was the Senate Democratic leadership that ultimately turned John McCain with our powerful oratory, but sadly that’s not true. This late admission really underscored the power of grassroots advocacy in swaying legislative determinations and decisions.”
To close the loop, Booker quoted civil rights leader Ella Baker, capturing her call to action motive. As she declared, “We are the leaders that we’ve been waiting for.” This sentiment resonated throughout his filibuster and during his appearance on The View, illustrating Booker’s belief in collective leadership and empowerment.
Throughout the roundtable, urgent challenges and opportunities were identified. Yet, Booker refused to answer Sunny Hostin’s blatantly obvious question regarding his long term ambitions to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Minority Leader. Last week, Schumer got grilled on The View. This wave of backlash was due to his equally controversial decision to support a G.O.P. spending bill that was intended to avoid a government shutdown.
This discussion on healthcare leadership is just beginning. Booker’s comments are both an important call and a cautionary tale about the immense hurdles that millions of Americans still walk are gaping chasms today.
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