Sen. Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.), who is mulling a 2020 presidential bid, says a plan to provide "Medicare for all" and take away private insurance, which has the support of several Democratic White House hopefuls, is “a bad opening offer.”

Bennet is presenting himself as a moderate possible alternative in next year’s Democratic primary, although he has yet to formally announce his campaign.

Bennet warned that Democrats should remember the public backlash the party felt after some families were forced to transition to new health plans after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

He suggested the political turmoil would be worse if private health plans were abolished under Medicare for all, as 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.) proposed at a recent CNN town hall event.

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“Remember when President Obama said, ‘If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance.' And then a few people in America actually lost their insurance because of the way that the plan worked. Now what the Democrats are saying is, ‘If you like your insurance, we’re going to take it away from you,’ ” Bennet said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.

Bennet said 180 million people get their insurance from employers and “like it” and 20 million Americans are on Medicare Advantage, a program under which people have private plans approved by Medicare, and “love it.”

He said abolishing those plans under a single-payer federal health care plan “seems like a bad opening offer for me.”

Bennet said he would prefer setting up a public health insurance plan to compete with private companies to provide more choice to consumers.

“I think we’d be much better off with a bill like the one I have with Tim Kaine Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Trump meets with potential Supreme Court pick Amy Coney Barrett at White House Names to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court MORE called Medicare X, that creates a public option,” he said. “It helps finish the work of ObamaCare.”

He said a public option would give consumers the choice of keeping private insurance or choosing a public plan.

Bennet is presenting himself as a more centrist alternative to liberal colleagues such as Harris and Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenHarris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda Judd Gregg: The Kamala threat — the Californiaization of America GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (D-Mass.), 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.) and Cory Booker Cory Anthony BookerBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into allegations of medical neglect at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.), who are looking seriously at challenging Trump next year.

“I think that I've got a different set of experiences than the other folks in the race, many of whom are my friends and people that I like. But, I spent time in business and time as a school superintendent before I was in the in the job that I'm in now,” he told NBC’s Chuck Todd.