Tim Walz: 'Next Democratic President Better Figure Out Universal Health Care'

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivered a pointed message to future Democratic leaders during a Monday interview on MSNBC's "The Weekend," declaring that "the next Democratic president better figure out a way to get universal healthcare."

The comment reflects ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party over how aggressively to pursue sweeping policy changes. Universal health care would replace private insurance with a government-run system covering all Americans.

Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 election, argued that Democrats have a pattern of winning elections but struggling to implement major reforms. "Progressives win elections, but they can't hold power," he said. "It has to be about not holding power for the sake of holding power. It has to be about passing things."

The push for universal health care has divided Democrats for years. Progressive lawmakers like Bernie Sanders champion "Medicare for All," while moderate Democrats prefer building on the existing Affordable Care Act. During the 2024 campaign, Harris and Walz made health care a central issue against the Trump-Vance ticket.

Walz pointed to Barack Obama's presidency as an example, suggesting that future Democratic administrations need to move more decisively on progressive priorities when they have control of Congress.