In the Democratic presidential debate Thursday evening, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sparred on some issues and concurred on others as they debated the difference between progressive and progress.
Healthcare was a point of contention between the two candidates, though they both agree universal coverage is the end goal.
Ms. Clinton said, "There is no disagreement between us on universal coverage for health care, the disagreement is where do we start from and where do we end up." She contrasted her plans to improve the Affordable Care Act with Sen. Sanders' plan "to start all over again," this time emphasizing the difficulty he will have implementing such a law. She added, "I am not going to wait and have us plunge back into a contentious national debate that has very little chance of succeeding. Let's make the [ACA] work for everybody."
Sen. Sanders fired back, "Let me just say this. As Secretary Clinton may know, I am on the Health Education Labor Committee. That committee wrote the [ACA]. The idea I would dismantle healthcare in America while we're waiting to pass a Medicare for All is just not accurate."
The exchange underscored the current dichotomy in the Democratic race of the idealist versus the realist. Read the full debate transcript here.
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