Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and John Kerry lead Biden-Sanders 'Unity Task Force' on climate change
Former Vice President Joe Biden has extended another hand to supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
After Sanders suspended his 2020 campaign and endorsed Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Biden pledged to make inroads with Sanders' backers and adopted some of the progressive's policy proposals. That promise continued Wednesday as Biden and Sanders unveiled six "Unity Task Forces" made up of top supporters of both candidates.
The task forces on climate change, criminal justice reform, the economy, education, health care, and immigration are each a mix of progressive and more moderate Democrats. They're all aimed at "identifying ways to build on our progress and not simply turn the clock back to a time before Donald Trump, but transform our country, Biden said in a statement.
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Notable names include Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who has pushed for Sanders' Medicare-for-all and will co-chair the health care task force along with Obama administration Surgeon General Vivek Murphy. Former Secretary of State John Kerry and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, will co-chair a task force on climate change. Kathryn Krawczyk
Making sense of the week's political news, delivered every Wednesday
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.