Amy Klobuchar in 8th Democratic Primary Debate
On Health Care:
Medicare-for-All will kick 149 million off their insurance
[Joe Biden asked Sen. Bernie Sanders about Medicare-for-All] "How much is it going to cost? Who's going to pay for it? The idea [that] middle class taxes aren't going to go up is just crazy." Sanders responded that the "status quo" offered by Biden
will cost even more. "We are spending twice as much per capita as the people of any other country," Sanders told Biden, who was vice president during the passage of the Affordable Care Act championed by President Barack Obama. "Maybe it has something
to do with the fact that the health care industry last year made $100 billion in profit."
Klobuchar then broke in. "I keep listening to this same debate, and it is not real. It is not real, Bernie, because two thirds of the Democrats in the
Senate are not on your bill, and because it would kick 149 million Americans off their current health insurance in four years," she said, garnering a loud reaction from the crowd.
Source: CNBC.com excerpts of 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate
Feb 8, 2020
On Welfare & Poverty:
Eradicate child poverty in a generation
In answering the final question about child poverty, Klobuchar pointed to a plan she created to cut child poverty in half over 10 years and "eradicate it in a generation."Then she pivoted to an anecdote about President Franklin
Roosevelt and a man who sobbed when the dead president's funeral train passed by. The man was asked if he knew the Roosevelt, Klobuchar said. "The guy says: 'No, I didn't know the president, but he knew me. He knew me,' " Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar, who referenced her humble roots several times during the debate, said that she too would govern in a way that the poor will feel known.
"If you have trouble, stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent,
I know you and I will fight for you," Klobuchar said. "If you have trouble deciding if you're going to pay for your childcare, or your long-term care, I know you and I will fight for you."
Source: Washington Post excerpts of 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate
Feb 8, 2020
On Abortion:
Make right to choose the law of the land
I would only appoint judges that would respect precedent and one of those key precedents is Roe v. Wade. In addition, you have got to put it into law. It's going to be really important when you look at the overwhelming public support for funding
Planned Parenthood, for making sure women have access to contraception, to making sure that they have a right to choose, that we make this case strongly and loudly.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Drugs:
I sent drug users to jail, but the only answer is treatment
I led one of the most successful drug courts in the country. We didn't want to see repeat customers. If you don't want to see repeat customers, the only answer is treatment. Maybe you're referring to people who were dealing big time in drugs.
I felt that we should prosecute those people, but we owe it to the people of New Hampshire, had one of the biggest addiction rates in the countries and death rates when it comes to opioids, to explain how we will pay for the treatment and the bed.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Drugs:
Two-cent per milligram tax on opioids to fund treatment
There's going to be a federal settlement against opioid manufacturers. The evidence is overwhelming. We will get $40 billion in from that settlement, we can put a 2 cents per milligram tax on opioids that brings in another 40 billion.
Then you can close a hedge fund loophole that brings in $18 billion. And just like every other policy I've proposed, I have shown how I'm going to pay for it.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Families & Children:
Investment in childcare and pre-school
I've put together a plan to reduce child poverty in half in 10 years and eradicate it in a generation. We can do it with investment in childcare. We can do it with investment in preschool and school and
we can do it with tax credits and we can get it done. But to get it done, we have to be able to reach those voters that we lost in this state and across the country.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Foreign Policy:
We must work with allies, isolationism does not work
Trump always sides with tyrants over innocents. We cannot be alone, and that trade agreement was not perfect,
but the point of it is, if we start isolating ourselves from the rest of the world, we are going to hurt ourselves economically and we are going to hurt our nation's security.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Free Trade:
Voted yes for USMCA due to trade improvements
There were major improvements in this trade agreement when it comes to labor inspections, when it comes to getting rid of a sweetheart pharma deal and when it comes to climate change. We have to have Mexico and Canada and America working together and
the best way to take on climate change as president, yes, I'll work to make this a part of every future trade agreement, but the best way to take on climate change is by getting back into the international climate change agreement.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Government Reform:
Automatic voter registration stops racist voter suppression
I have been leading on these bills to automatically register every kid to vote in this country when they turn 18. There is no reason that we can't do that across this country. To stop the gerrymandering by
setting up independent commissions in every single state, and yes, to stop the voting purges. We are not going to be able to get any of these things done if we don't give people the right to vote.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Government Reform:
Overturn Citizens United
I can't stand big money in politics, and one of my major focuses is going to be passing that constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. I didn't come from money, and I think people don't look at the guy in the White House and say "Can we
get someone richer?" They want someone they can understand. No matter where you come from, you should be able to make it.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
On Health Care:
Medicare-for-All will kick 149 million off their insurance
I keep listening to this same debate, and it is not real. It is not real because two thirds of the Democrats in the Senate are not on your bill and because it would kick 149 million Americans off their current health insurance in four years.
I have long believed that the way that we expand healthcare to more people and bring down premiums is by building on the Affordable Care Act, with a nonprofit public option.
Source: 8th Democrat 2020 primary debate, St. Anselm College in NH
Feb 7, 2020
Page last updated: Mar 23, 2020