Democratic challenger Dean Phillips signs onto ‘Medicare for All’ bill

Dean Phillips, the Democratic congressmember challenging Joe Biden, is endorsing “Medicare for All” legislation, aligning himself with the progressive movement in one of its longstanding gripes with the White House.

The Minnesota representative, for the first time, is signing onto a bill that would create a single-payer health care system in America.

Phillips, who shared the news first with POLITICO, insisted he is not making the shift for campaign reasons — and continues to have key disagreements with the plan. For instance, he said he doesn’t support outlawing nearly all private insurance, which is precisely what “Medicare for All” would do. But his decision represents a symbolic step towards progressive politics for a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus who has long been associated with the centrist wing of the Democratic Party.