[S]ens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts defended their Medicare for all plans from a barrage of challenges brought by CNN moderators and fellow Democrats during Tuesday night’s Democratic primary debate in Detroit.
The two New Englanders — who have both strongly advocated for Medicare for all plans — played off each other during the first night of the party’s second round of debates, pushing back on critiques from other candidates that their plans would raise taxes on the middle class and lower the quality of health care for Americans.
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan pressed Sanders, saying that the Vermont senator could not possibly know that Medicare for all would offer more comprehensive coverage than some health care plans that have been negotiated by labor unions.
“I do know it, I wrote the damn bill,” Sanders shot back.
Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney also challenged both Sanders and Warren, calling the plan for universal health care “bad policy,” and CNN moderator Jake Tapper asked if it is “political suicide” that will result in President Donald Trump getting reelected.
“You’re wrong,” Sanders said. “Five minutes away from here, John, is a country, it’s called Canada. They guarantee health care to every man, woman and child as a human right. they spend half of what we spend.”
Under Sanders’ plan, the age of eligibility for Medicare would be lowered from 65 to 55 years of age during the first year and all children would be covered. In the second year, the age would be lowered to 45 years of age, and in the third year the age would decrease to 35.
Warren also demanded time to defend Medicare for all, and criticized her fellow Democrats for using “Republican talking points” when discussing health care.
Tapper asked Warren repeatedly if she supported Sanders’ health care plan even though it would raise the taxes on middle income families and if she would support that tax.
“Are you also with Bernie on Medicare for all when it comes to raising taxes on middle class Americans?” Tapper asked.
Warren responded that “giant corporations and billionaires” will pay more and that middle class families would pay less than what they are now for their health care costs.
Warren also went on the offensive, claiming that the current health care system “works great for the wealthy” and that it is going to take “real courage to fight” against health insurance companies.
“These insurance companies do not have a god-given right to make $23 billion in profits and suck it out of our health care system,” Warren said.
In the run-up to the debate, staffers for both Sanders and Warren had said they did not expect either candidate to attack each other’s policies during Tuesday night’s showdown.
But few predicted the two progressive senators would play off each other, pushing back against criticism from more moderate Democratic candidates.
Both Sanders and Warren are in solid contention in pre-debate polls.
Sanders is in second place, according to two polls released Monday and Tuesday, with Warren sitting a few points behind.
In the latest Emerson College survey, Biden was in the lead with 33%, trailed by Sanders at 20% and Warren in third place with 14%. Harris came in at 11%, and Buttigieg rounded out the top five with 6%.
Before the debate, 12% of voters expected Sanders to perform the best out of all the candidates, while 14% thought Warren would have a break-out moment, according to a Morning Consult/Politico poll.
However, neither Sanders nor Warren were able to establish how their candidacies for president contrast, but they will have to if either is going to win the nomination, according to a Sanders campaign staffer.
“I think at some point there is going to have to be some contrasting in order to make their case,” said Joe Caiazzo, Sanders’ state director in New Hampshire, in a recent interview.
On Wednesday the frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden, will square off against California Sen. Kamala Harris and eight other candidates.
