Ocasio-Cortez among top Dems promoting Biden-Sanders unity

Joe Biden and the last rival he bested to become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders, on Wednesday announced the members of joint task forces their campaigns will use to promote party unity by hammering out consensus on six top policy issues.

They include New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who will provide input on combating climate change and potentially become a key conduit between strong progressives who supported Sanders and backers of the more centrist Biden.

Each committee has eight members and will be focused on health care, immigration, education, criminal justice reform, climate change and the economy, which has taken a sharp downturn amid shutdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Biden and Sanders differed throughout the primary on a number of issues, particularly whether a government-run system should replace private health insurance.

Biden has continued to resist Sanders' Medicare for All plan and has instead promoted a public option that would operate alongside private coverage.

The former vice president has taken steps to embrace some policies favored by the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party, aware that he will need those voters to turn out for him against President Donald Trump.

That includes embracing proposals backed by Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren to expand health coverage eligibility through Medicare, cancel student debt for millions of Americans and overhaul the nation's system for individuals to declare bankruptcy.

A united party is key to defeating Donald Trump this November and moving our country forward through an unprecedented crisis, Biden said in a statement.

The work of the task forces will be essential to identifying ways to build on our progress and not simply turn the clock back to a time before Donald Trump, but transform our country."