New Medicare Benefits Must Stay in Biden Bill, Progressives Say

New vision, dental, and hearing benefits under Medicare must be included in Democrats’ social spending package if it’s going to win support from progressives, two vocal lawmakers said Tuesday.

“This to me is not negotiable,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told reporters when asked if cutting the proposed Medicare benefits is a red line for progressives.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said her coalition shares this sentiment.

Factions of the Democratic party are jockeying to maintain what they consider to be core elements of the evolving social spending bill, which contains the bulk of President Joe ...