Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.), who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, late Tuesday reiterated his call for the elimination of private health insurance companies and moving to a single-payer, "Medicare for all" system of health care.

"You're damn right," Sanders wrote in a tweet in response to a Republican National Committee (RNC) Research tweet pointing out that he called for eliminating private health insurance during an interview earlier in the day.

In that MSNBC interview, Sanders said the "current system is incredibly dysfunctional and wasteful" and said universal health care can't be achieved "unless you get rid of the insurance companies."

"You are not going to be able, in the long run, to have cost-effective, universal health care unless you change the system, unless you get rid of the insurance companies, unless you stand up to the greed of the drug companies and lower prescription drug costs," he said during an appearance on MSNBC's "All In With Chris Hayes."

"That’s the only way that you can provide quality care to all people," he said.

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Sanders also indicated that he wouldn't support a House bill to strengthen the Affordable Care Act in the Senate.

“No, I support the Medicare for All single-payer program," he said when Hayes asked if he backed the legislation.

Sanders has previously called for the elimination of private health insurance companies.

"Yes, it does, because you're not going to a have a need for private insurance," he said earlier this month during an interview with NPR when asked if private insurance "goes away" under Medicare for All.

Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice First presidential debate to cover coronavirus, Supreme Court Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (D-Calif.), another 2020 presidential candidate, has also called for the elimination of private health insurance companies.

"The idea is that everyone gets access to medical care, and you don't have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork, all of the delay that may require," she said during a CNN town hall in January, a comment that sparked backlash from the right.