Nancy Pelosi previously sponsored single payer "Medicare for All" style health reform. In 1994, she demanded a vote on it. "It is interesting to see how, under scrutiny, when people really take a look at these bills, how brilliantly the single payer plan stands out," Pelosi said.
Given the recent "discourse" around this topic, surprised no one has pointed this out. Pelosi sponsored the single payer bill, even serving as the pitch person introducing it at committees, appearing on TV to argue for it. Makes basically all the same points as Bernie does today.
"I advocate a single-payer system, and I would like to see us move in that direction" -- Pelosi, SF Chron, 9/23/93.
"I am pleased to be here with my colleagues in support of a single payer approach to health care reform" - Pelosi, 2/1/94 before the Energy & Commerce Committee.
"I am pleased to be here with my colleagues in support of a single payer approach to health care reform" - Pelosi, 2/1/94 before the Energy & Commerce Committee.
It's not just Pelosi, dozens of state level Dems in California, Howard Dean, Obama, Ted Kennedy, etc. have said they support single payer when out of power to rally left-wing voters, before backing away when in power. It's become an empty slogan for many.
Despite the seeming surge in recent support for Medicare for All, Pelosi's single payer bill in 1993 had 90 sponsors https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1200/ The current House Dem bill for single payer has 118 sponsors, not a huge increase https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1384
"I will join with my colleagues here in working to see that the plan that the Congress passes contains as many of the provisions of single payer as possible, that it does not foreclose on an eventual single payer" - Pelosi, standing next to Bernie, at a press conf in 1993