photo by: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol, March 7, 2024, in Washington.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m. April 17: Just hours after announcing the event, KU issued a release saying that the event has been canceled “because of a scheduling conflict.” KU did not elaborate further.

Original story:

The Dole Institute of Politics is hosting two very different U.S. lawmakers — Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders –to discuss working “across the aisle” on their legislation to address health care access.

The Thursday event — open only to KU students, faculty and staff — is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the institute, 2350 Petefish Drive.

photo by: Alex Brandon/AP File

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Nov. 1, 2021, in Washington.

The two lawmakers — Marshall, a conservative Republican, and Sanders, a liberal independent — will discuss bipartisan efforts to tackle health care challenges. The event will not be livestreamed, according to a news release from the University of Kansas.

Last September, Marshall and Sanders announced bipartisan legislation to address the primary care crisis throughout the country, which includes major shortages of nurses, primary care doctors and other important health care jobs. The legislation will also increase funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Centers.