Summary
On December 19, 2019, candidates convened again for the sixth 2020 Democratic Presidential primary debate. Seven candidates took the stage at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, each having met the threshold of securing at least 200,000 individual campaign donors, and receiving at least four percent in four DNC-approved polls. Co-hosted by PBS NewsHour and Politico, the event was moderated by a four-member panel consisting of PBS NewsHour Anchor Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour national correspondent Amna Nawaz, PBS NewsHour White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, and Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta.
During the event, candidates touched on an array of issues, ranging from the state of the economy, their views on Afghanistan, and climate change. On the issue of impeachment, each candidate spoke on their stated views of the necessity of impeachment, grounded in the belief that the current administration is “corrupt” and has “betray[ed] the trust of the people.” One candidate, Former Tech Executive Andrew Yang (background and polling) spoke on the need to “stop being obsessed with impeachment,” and to instead “begin solving the problems that got [President] Trump elected in the first place.”
A brief recap of key remarks pertaining to health care now follows:
- Medicare for All/Public Option – The primary health care-related topic during the event centered, again, around the Medicare for All vs. Public Option issue. Moderators began by asking Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (background and polling) what he would do if he were unable to pass his Medicare for All legislation through the Congress. Sen. Sanders responded to the contrary and offered his firm belief that he would in fact be able to muster enough support to secure its passage. He supported his conviction by suggesting that speaking to the American people about “tak[ing] on the green and corruption of the pharmaceutical industry, for example,” would rally their support for such a change, and would therefore demand the support of Congress. Former Vice President Joe Biden (background and polling) called the Senator’s beliefs “unrealistic,” and repeated his preference to instead build upon the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and offer a public option on the individual exchange markets. Stating that his plan would allow Americans to choose what works best for them, he spoke out against plans that offered one singular option for Americans, such as those proffered by Sen. Sanders. The issue of cost then arose, with Sen. Sanders emphasizing his plan would eliminate out of pocket expenses for Americans, while Vice President Biden assured listeners that taxes would need to increase to finance the multi-trillion dollar effort. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (background and polling) then entered the discussion, and agreed that a public option plan would bring down costs immediately for those insured through the individual market, and would expand coverage to several million more. Following this, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (background and polling) repeated that her plan would allow for full, comprehensive health care coverage for all without raising taxes on middle class families.
- Transgender Health – Candidates spoke very briefly on the issue of transgender rights in the United States. Sen. Sanders used this as another opportunity to speak on Medicare for All, noting that his plan would allow for comprehensive coverage to all Americans, including the transgender community. He cited this as an important component to ensuring their health and wellness more broadly.
The next debate is slated for January 14, 2020, to be co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at Drake University (tentative schedule).