Summary
Progressive lawmakers view the online praise for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as a sign of deep public frustration with the U.S. healthcare system.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called it a “wake-up call” highlighting resentment over financial and health precarity, while Sen. Bernie Sanders emphasized that anger reflects the belief that healthcare is a human right.
Though all lawmakers condemned the murder, some progressives argue it underscores systemic issues like claim denials.
Calls for healthcare reform have intensified amid public outrage.
Who’s waking up? We’re already seeing the end of this news cycle. People are pre-occupied with the stupid drones in NJ and losing interest over this. I would nearly guarantee we see no long-term changes to our health care system. The public operates in 2 week outrages. It would take a longer attention span to actually fix something. Someone’d have to dismantle the corrupt lobbying system in DC. Reminder: this year ALONE companies spend more than $130 million on lobbying in DC. The politicians don’t work for us, the people, they work for the health companies and their lobbyists. This is business as usual.