Joel White, a Republican strategist who focuses on well being coverage, mentioned Mr. Sanders could be extra bipartisan than a few of his critics anticipate, including, “I believe Bernie in all probability wouldn’t have grow to be chair of the well being committee simply to throw bombs.”
Two Republicans on the panel, Mr. Braun and Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, each mentioned in interviews that they thought they may discover widespread floor with Mr. Sanders on issues like decreasing the price of prescribed drugs and supporting neighborhood well being facilities.
And Mr. Daschle mentioned Mr. Sanders had a counterpart he may in all probability work with: Senator Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, the highest Republican on the committee. A doctor who helped discovered a neighborhood well being clinic to deal with the uninsured, Mr. Cassidy was one in all seven Republicans who voted to convict former President Donald J. Trump at his second impeachment trial.
As committee chairman, Mr. Sanders mentioned he supposed to “take the present on the street” by having hearings in locations aside from Washington so he may hear from odd Individuals, resembling older individuals who have a tough time paying for prescribed drugs, working households struggling to pay for baby care and college students who can not afford to pay for faculty.
With the current retirement of Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Democrat who served for 48 years, Mr. Sanders is lastly the senior senator from Vermont. Requested how he felt, he mentioned, “Fairly good.” Then, ever combative, he shot again, “How do you’re feeling?”
He mentioned individuals who marvel about whether or not he’ll run once more — and by folks, he meant reporters — ought to “maintain questioning.”
Why? “As a result of I’ve simply instructed you, and that is very severe,” he mentioned, sporting his trademark scowl. “If you concentrate on my document, I take this job critically. The aim of elections is to elect folks to do work, to not maintain speaking about elections.”
