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“Joe said that Medicare-for-all would cost over $30 trillion. That’s right, Joe. Status quo over 10 years will be $50 trillion.” — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), remarks during the third Democratic presidential debate, Sept. 12, 2019. Sanders made this comment after former vice president Joe Biden criticized the senator’s Medicare-for-all plan for potentially adding “$30 trillion, $3.4 trillion a year” to the federal budget. In his response, Sanders favorably compared that $30 trillion to what he called the “status quo” for health-care spending — $50 trillion. He added: “Every study done shows that Medicare-for-all is the most cost-effective approach to providing health care to every man, woman and child in this country.” (Kessler, 9/19)

The Democrats' tent is big enough to include anti-abortion lawmakers, the No. 2 House Democrat said Wednesday. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) emphasized that Democrats are overwhelmingly in favor of women's right to terminate a pregnancy. But there's no litmus test, he said, that would exclude those lawmakers who feel otherwise. (Lillis, 9/18)

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg today released his long-awaited health plan, pledging that his “Medicare for All Who Want It” proposal would lead to universal health coverage while cutting costs. The plan formalizes proposals the South Bend, Ind., mayor has touted in the campaign, like building on Obamacare and creating a new “public option” to compete with private insurers. (Diamond, 9/19)