Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed suggested on NBC's "Meet the Press" that universal healthcare would necessitate an increase in taxes for many Americans. When pressed by host Kristen Welker about whether individuals earning less than $1 million could see their taxes rise, El-Sayed appeared to acknowledge this possibility.
El-Sayed framed the potential tax increase as a trade-off. "So, for the average person, when you look at your W2, if you’re an employee who gets paid every two weeks or four weeks, after you pay your taxes, the next biggest check that comes off the top of your pay stub is to your health insurance company," he stated. He proposed that instead of paying insurance companies, individuals could pay "a little bit more in taxes for healthcare that you wouldn’t lose if you lost your job or turned 26 or got married or got divorced."
He further elaborated, "So there’s an opportunity here, I think, to trade what we give to a big corporation, who gets to decide who we get to see and who we don’t, for a little bit more paid into FICA. And I think that’s a trade that’s worth making." When asked to confirm if people making less than a million dollars could see their taxes go up, El-Sayed reiterated his preference for directing funds to a government-run healthcare system over corporate profits.
"I’m saying that we’d be paying for healthcare in a different way. Instead of paying a health insurance company, whose CEO makes $20 million, I would much rather pay for durable healthcare into a government, which, of course, we all know provides healthcare for seniors who need healthcare the most. So, if I’m trading paying a CEO to make more money or paying a government to guarantee me healthcare, I’m picking the latter every time," El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, criticized the comments on X, writing, "Weird. I thought Abdul’s campaign promise was more money in your pocket. This sounds a lot like more money for the government."
El-Sayed previously won the Democratic primary, defeating an establishment-backed candidate. His platform includes support for policies such as Medicare for All and taxing billionaires, though he has stated he is not a socialist. Some Democrats have expressed concern over the direction of the party, citing El-Sayed's rise as an example of progressive influence.