If you are among the majority of Americans who want the government to guarantee health care to all, the current political moment raises a question: What can you realistically hope for, considering that the incoming Democratic president opposes the idea?

Over the weekend, there has been a debate raging on social media, in which some progressive critics began demanding that lawmakers like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez use their votes in the upcoming House speaker election as leverage to get a commitment for a floor vote on Medicare for All legislation. The idea is that, because the House is so narrowly divided, a handful of progressive icons in Congress could torpedo Nancy Pelosi’s bid to get reelected speaker, unless she agrees to schedule such a vote.

A floor vote on existing Medicare for All legislation could absolutely be a useful organizing tool — it could clarify which Democratic lawmakers actually support the idea, which Democrats are merely feigning support by just cosponsoring the bill but not voting for it, and which Democrats actively oppose it. That would provide a helpful road map for future primaries and pressure against its opponents.