Democrats Are Handing The Reins Of Their Healthcare Policy Over To Bernie Sanders

  Senate Democrats are giving the top spot on the chamber’s healthcare committee to Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has led the...

 Senate Democrats are giving the top spot on the chamber’s healthcare committee to Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has led the charge on healthcare issues from the party’s leftward flank.

Democratic Washington Sen. Patty Murray, currently the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, is moving to the Appropriations Committee, leaving the top spot on HELP open for Sanders. The Vermont senator’s spokesman confirmed Thursday that he will take over leadership of the powerful committee, according to Axios.

On the Republican side, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul could have taken over from retiring North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr as ranking member, but instead opted to take the spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Politico. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy will become the ranking member on HELP instead.

Cassidy said he would prefer to look into the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) spending priorities and how the government dealt with COVID-19 funds, but that Sanders has other priorities. Sanders’ office said he plans to focus on “universal health care, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, increasing access to higher education and protecting workers’ rights on the job.”

It is unlikely Sanders will be able to pass some of his more ambitious priorities, such as Medicare for All and major drug pricing reforms. President Joe Biden has explicitly stated his opposition to Medicare for All. However, Sanders’ elevation to the top of the HELP Committee will grant him the power to hold hearings, call on experts and executive branch officials to testify and more broadly command the bully pulpit on healthcare.

In the House, Republicans won a slim majority in last week’s midterms and are seeking to potentially disband the chamber’s COVID-19 select subcommittee, potentially replacing it with a committee dedicated to oversight on China, which would include investigating the origins of COVID-19.