The Washington Free Beacon reports:
Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) would not say how much a "Medicare for all" program would cost during repeated pressing Monday on "CBS This Morning."
Booker joined the increasingly crowded field of 2020 Democratic presidential contenders last week, and he is one of several prominent candidates who has embraced the mantle of "Medicare for all." What exactly that means and how it would be paid for remains unclear as Democrats begin jockeying for position in what promises to be a race to the left.
Co-host John Dickerson mentioned it would be difficult for Democrats to pass such a proposal, even with a Senate majority, because it would likely require Republican votes to clear the filibuster threshold.
"This is where I disagree," Booker said. "I've gone across this country, sat with Republican farmers, with independents. Everybody agrees that [in] the United States of America, we should never have somebody who does not get access to care because they can't afford it. This idea that health care is a right is popular on both sides of the aisle."
When co-host Norah O'Donnell asked why not strengthen Obamacare instead, Booker acknowledged the term "Medicare for all" means different things to different candidates and said there were pathways that would expand access while lowering costs.
"A chicken in every pot is popular as well. How much would ‘Medicare for all' cost?" O'Donnell asked.
"Norah, a couple things," Booker said.
"Just quickly, just so that people know how much it would cost," O'Donnell said.
Watch the clip below:
