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Amy Klobuchar Goes After Elizabeth Warren Over Health Care Plan in Debate | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Senator Amy Klobuchar confronted Senator Elizabeth Warren over her health care plan and taxes in Tuesday night’s Democratic debate in Westerville, Ohio. | Senator Amy Klobuchar confronted Senator Elizabeth Warren over her health care plan and taxes in Tuesday night’s Democratic debate in Westerville, Ohio. |
In the first exchange, Ms. Warren, who is from Massachusetts, was asked repeatedly how she would pay for “Medicare for all” and insisted that costs would not increase for middle-class Americans. But she would not say outright that taxes would or would not increase. | |
Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has championed a single-payer system, said taxes would go up for “virtually everybody.” But he added that the tax increase would be substantially less than what people currently pay for premiums and out-of-pocket health care expenses. | Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has championed a single-payer system, said taxes would go up for “virtually everybody.” But he added that the tax increase would be substantially less than what people currently pay for premiums and out-of-pocket health care expenses. |
“At least Bernie is being honest here, and saying how he’s going to pay for this and that taxes are going to go up,” Ms. Klobuchar, of Minnesota, said after his comments. | “At least Bernie is being honest here, and saying how he’s going to pay for this and that taxes are going to go up,” Ms. Klobuchar, of Minnesota, said after his comments. |
“And I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but you have not said that and I think we owe the American people to tell them where we will send the invoice.” | “And I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but you have not said that and I think we owe the American people to tell them where we will send the invoice.” |
During the exchange, Ms. Klobuchar said that she supported a public option that would lower the cost of premiums and expand access to care. | |
“The difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something that you can actually get done,” she said. “And we can get this public option done.” | |
Ms. Warren also came under attack over health care from Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., who criticized her for being evasive. | Ms. Warren also came under attack over health care from Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., who criticized her for being evasive. |
A short while later, Ms. Klobuchar again addressed Ms. Warren during an exchange about a wealth tax, as the Minnesota senator pledged to repeal portions of President Trump’s 2017 tax bill. | |
“I want to give a reality check to Elizabeth,” she said. “No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires. Not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires,” she added, in a reference to Tom Steyer. | “I want to give a reality check to Elizabeth,” she said. “No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires. Not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires,” she added, in a reference to Tom Steyer. |
“We just have different approaches. Your idea is not the only idea.” | “We just have different approaches. Your idea is not the only idea.” |
In response, Ms. Warren reiterated her belief that a wealth tax was necessary in addition to income taxes. | In response, Ms. Warren reiterated her belief that a wealth tax was necessary in addition to income taxes. |
“I think as Democrats we are going to succeed when we dream big and fight hard, not when we dream small and quit before we get started,” Ms. Warren said. | “I think as Democrats we are going to succeed when we dream big and fight hard, not when we dream small and quit before we get started,” Ms. Warren said. |
Ms. Klobuchar, 59, has billed herself as a Midwestern pragmatist with bipartisan appeal. Now in her third term, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Minnesota and she remains hugely popular there. She has focused on issues like prescription drug costs, sexual harassment and online privacy. | |
Her team hopes that her brand of “Minnesota nice” politics will attract the Iowa voters who cast the first primary votes, and residents in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that swung the 2016 election to Mr. Trump. | |
But she has lagged behind other Democrats in the polls, with a national polling average of 2 percent before the debate on Tuesday. She had raised $9.1 million in individual donations through June 30. Mr. Sanders, the leader in fund-raising in that period, had raised $36.2 million. | |
Isabella Grullón Paz contributed reporting. | Isabella Grullón Paz contributed reporting. |