--- title: Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk description: As progressive Democrats introduced single-payer legislation this week, many other Democrats question what seems like a 2020 "litmus test." canonical: https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-15T17:06:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T17:26:50.568Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk og:description: As progressive Democrats introduced single-payer legislation this week, many other Democrats question what seems like a 2020 "litmus test." og:url: https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Morning Must Reads og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk twitter:description: As progressive Democrats introduced single-payer legislation this week, many other Democrats question what seems like a 2020 "litmus test." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=5449fab5-dcf4-4cb5-a7c7-c6c487460524&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Sep 15, 2017 5:06 PM UTC  The early morning sun rises behind the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. The early morning sun rises behind the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Mark Wilson—Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Sep 15, 2017 5:06 PM UTC As progressive Democrats introduced single-payer healthcare legislation this week, many in the party are shaking their heads at what proponents are calling a “litmus test” for 2020 candidates. The dead-on-arrival bill has more than a dozen Democratic supporters in the Senate—and its support among the general public is far from enthusiastic—but the measure represents the lasting influence of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on the party, shifting it leftward at a time of great opportunity. With Republicans deeply divided over President Trump, Democrats may create a new rift among their supporters and candidates. As seemingly every Democrat with a pulse is keeping their eyes on the next presidential race, the party is risking putting primary politics ahead of national success. Trump brings back ‘both sides.’ Harvard’s Chelsea Manning controversy. Tech worries about anti-trafficking bill. And Schumer is caught on a hot mic. _Here are your must reads:_ **Must Reads** [Rank-and-File Remain Skeptical of DACA Deal ](http://time.com/4942202/donald-trump-daca-dreamers-schumer-pelosi/)‘He’ll Go Back on His Word.’ \[TIME\] [Conservative Firebrand Roils Berkeley ](http://time.com/4943027/berkeley-free-speech-ben-shapiro-breitbart/)”The University Has Coddled Students Too Long.’ \[TIME\] [Google and Facebook Fret Over Anti-Prostitution Bill’s Fallout ](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-15/google-and-facebook-fret-over-anti-prostitution-bill-s-fallout)Measure said to boost risk for putting users’ content online \[Bloomberg\] [Trump Humiliated Jeff Sessions After Mueller Appointment ](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/us/politics/jeff-sessions-trump.html?%5Fr=0)Was refrained from accepting resignation \[New York Times\] [Despite Trump Promises, There Are Still No Plans for a Mexican Border Wall ](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/despite-trump-promises-there-are-still-no-plans-mexican-border-n801361)Rhetoric doesn’t match facts \[NBC\] [Trump and Democrats Strike DACA Deal. Yes? No? Sort of? ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-and-democrats-strike-daca-deal-yes-no-sort-of-trumps-world-can-be-confusing/2017/09/14/ab6a40d4-9970-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.c7205e656f0a)Trump’s world can be confusing. \[Washington Post\] **Sound Off** “DACA now and the wall very soon, but the wall will happen” — President Trump to reporters Thursday “If the Republicans don’t stick together then I’m going to have to do more and more.” — Trump sending a warning to his party that he may cut more deal with Democrats BONUS: “People in Kentucky took this stuff very seriously. Being a New Yorker, I don’t have any interest in watching the eclipse.” —Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, under fire for requesting a government plane for his European honeymoon, defending himself from questions about whether he used a government plane to view the eclipse last month. **Bits and Bites** [Here’s Everything President Trump Has Ever Said About DACA](http://time.com/4941733/trump-daca-deal-enshrine/) \[TIME\] [President Trump’s Favorite Dodge to a Tough Question: “What About…?”](http://time.com/4941771/donald-trump-whataboutism-rhetoric/) \[TIME\] [Hillary Clinton Just Clapped Back at President Trump’s Tweet With an Offer](http://time.com/4942266/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-book-tweet/) \[TIME\] [CIA Director Mike Pompeo Cancels Harvard Appearance Over Chelsea Manning Hire](http://time.com/4942882/mike-pompeo-cia-director-protests-chelsea-manning-harvard/) \[TIME\] [Harvard Kennedy School rescinds invite for Chelsea Manning to serve as visiting fellow](http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/09/15/harvard-kennedy-school-rescinds-invite-for-chelsea-manning-serve-visiting-fellow/6CB55Z5tqAb68wm0KEUH6I/story.html) \[Boston Globe\] [Chuck Schumer Overheard on Hot Mic: President Trump ‘Likes Me’](http://time.com/4942551/schumer-hot-mic-trump/) \[TIME\] [Ryan to impanel informal GOP working group on DACA](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/14/ryan-creates-working-group-on-daca-immigration-242749) \[Politico\] [Facebook Enabled Advertisers to Reach ‘Jew Haters’ ](https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-enabled-advertisers-to-reach-jew-haters)\[ProPublica\] [Trump Signals He Will Choose Approach on Iran That Preserves Nuclear Deal](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/world/middleeast/trump-iran-deal-sanctions-deadline.html?emc=edit%5Fth%5F20170915&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=55003713&%5Fr=0) \[New York Times\] [Trump Resurrects His Claim That Both Sides Share Blame in Charlottesville Violence](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/us/politics/trump-charlottesville-tim-scott.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share) \[New York Times\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/"},"headline":"Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk","datePublished":"2017-09-15T17:06:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T17:26:50.568Z","description":"Morning Must Reads: September 15","url":"https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/","keywords":["Morning Must Reads"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke Miller","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb24c27fcf0ec0da8/6986837dcd6848a30809364f/morning-must-reads1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Morning Must Reads","caption":"Capitol","creditText":"Mark Wilson—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/","name":"Why Bernie Sanders' Health Care Bill is a Risk"}}]}] ```