As predicted, CNN quickly pushed forward in pitting Sen. Kamala Harris against former Vice President Joe Biden, and Harris and the first half hour of the debate has been dedicated to healthcare plans and the differences amongst the candidates. The details are truncated by the insanely short amount of time candidates are allowed to speak on the issues at hand. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, asked by CNN moderators to fight with Sen. Harris over the differences between the two senators’ “Medicare For All” plans decided to step above the fray for a few minutes to remind Americans why everyone is talking about healthcare coverage in the first place.
She began by pointing out that there are big problems being obfuscated by the moderators’ demands for needling attacks. Talking about her own experience as a mother, bringing her child to the emergency room after an allergic reaction to eggs, Sen. Gillibrand explained that she didn’t worry about the costs of that visit. “The truth about healthcare in America today is that people can’t afford it.”
Gillibrand went on to also remind everyone that private insurance companies are beholden to profits, ending with the most important reminder, “the truth is that the Republicans and Trump, their whole goal is to take away your healthcare, to make it harder for you to afford it, even if you have pre-existing conditions.”