In the long-term, America is heading toward a single-payer, medicaid-for-all system brought to the public attention like never before by Senator Bernie Sanders in 2015 and 2016.

Unfortunately, that is in our distant future.

In the short term, America has to deal with a malignant Congress and Executive branch intent on forcing through a murderous healthcare bill which would guarantee a loss of coverage of more than 20 million.

Of course, while Republicans continue to debate just how many million over the 20 should be left high and dry, Progressives are seeking ways to protect vulnerable Americans in the short-term while they work on the long-term.

To this end, Senator Bernie Sanders teamed up with Democratic Congressman James Clyburn to pen legislation which would expand funding for community health centers across the country. The legislation co-sponsored by Sen. Sanders and Rep. Clyburn would not only expand this funding, but would make it permanent.

Sanders, who has already introduced a federal medicare-for-all bill into the Senate, is hoping to provide short-term relief for communities while the national politics battle out the larger details.

Sanders announced his legislation on Monday, in response to the newly released AHCA revealed last Thursday. Federally qualified healthcare centers which serve 25 million people nationwide are set to lose their funding in September of this year.

Without federal intervention, this would mean that 25 million Americans’ choice for healthcare would be severely limited in a political climate that is already seeking to limit their choices at a catastrophic level.

Watch.