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Eleven Weeks Before the Midterms, Hakeem Jeffries Says He Does Not Support Medicare for All or "the DSA Agenda" — and Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders Push Back the Same Day
August 16, 2026
On the August 16, 2026 edition of NBC's "Meet the Press," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was asked directly whether he supports Medicare for All. He said he does not — "It's not legislation that I currently am co-sponsoring or that I support" — and separately declined to embrace the Democratic Socialists of America's program, saying "I don't support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself." Jeffries framed the party's 2026 message around affordability and a "broad caucus" containing progressives, New Democrats and Blue Dogs. Jeffries had co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act in 2019 and 2021 but did not co-sponsor the 2025 version introduced by Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), appearing on the same program, took the opposite position, calling Medicare for All "arguably the most important priority" and predicting most House Democrats would back it. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the policy's longtime author, weighed in publicly the same weekend, citing polling showing 64 percent support. The exchange put the party's internal fight over health care on national television with 11 weeks until the November midterms, as Democrats eye a House majority in January.
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11 Statements
“I’m not going to reject an endorsement by certain individuals at the DSA.
“We need to be against the status quo, and that’s why I’ve been kicking the tires as I look at 2028 because I don’t think the Democratic Party has answered the call about how we’re going to make sure we have an economy that really does work for everybody, especially working people.
“Angie Nixon being the nominee will bring Republicans out to vote specifically against her because of the fact that they don’t want her radical policies.
“If we let this get framed as a battle between establishment and DSA, the establishment will lose — and candidly, rightfully so, because Americans are angry at the status quo.
“It's not legislation that I currently am co-sponsoring or that I support, but I support the notion we've got to find a path forward to fix our broken healthcare system.
“I don't support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself.
“You're going to have individual members who have been elected in Democratic primaries. It's going to be a broad caucus. There will be progressives. There will be New Dems. There will be Blue Dogs.
“A recent poll showed 64% of Americans want Medicare for All. They're right. Let's do it.
“Medicare for All is arguably the most important priority. It would save money, and it would save lives.
“The majority of the House Democrats are going to support it.