MIEDNESDAV
JANUARY 20, 2016
NEWS
Democratic candidates hold liveliest debate
Healthcare, gun
violence, education
major focus at
Democratic
presidential debate
staff Reports
gelonpefldulum
Former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, Senator Ber-
nie Sanders (D-Vt.) and for
mer Maryland Governor Martin
O’Malley engaged in one of the
more vocal Democratic presiden
tial debates thus far in the race to
secure the party’s nomination on
Sunday.
With education and healthcare
at the front of the debate, the can
didates were more argumentative
with one another than ever before.
This debate was of particular im
portance since the Iowa caucuses
and the New Hampshire prima
ries begin before the next debate
takes place Feb. 11 in Wisconsin.'
“Right now what we have to
deal with is the fact that 29 mil
lion people still have no health
insurance,” Sanders said. “We
are paying the highest prices in
the world for prescription drugs,
;etting ripped off. And here’s the
important point: We are spending
lar more per person on health-
:are than the people of any other
country.”
Recent data from the World
Bank revealed the United States
has the third-highest health ex-
)enditure per capita in the world,
larrowly trailing Norway and
Switzerland.
Clinton argued Sanders wants
GRAPHIC BY STEPHANIE HAYS 1 Design Chief
Senator Bernie Sanders (O-Vt.), former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley were Invited to Jan. 17 Democratic debate.
a fair share of time, several of
the most notable moments of
the debate resulted from heated
exchanges between Clinton and
Sanders.
Perhaps the most memorable
moment came when Clinton at
tacked Sanders’ voting record on
"THIS COUNTRY AND THE MIDDLE CLASS
BAILED OUT WALL STREET, NOW IT IS WALL
STREET'S TIMETO BAIL OUTTHE MIDDLE
CLASS."
BERNIE SANDERS
SENATOR (D-VT.)
to tear up the Affordable Care
tct — commonly referred to
is Obamacare — and undo the
wgress of the past made by for-
ler Presidents Franklin D. Roos
evelt and Harry Truman.
We have been raising ques-
fions about the nine bills that
(Sanders] introduced over 20
#ears as to- how they would work
■»nd what would be the impact on
people’s healthcare,” Clinton said.
ipBe didn’t like that. His campaign
didnt like that either.”
Clinton claimed Obamacare
one of the great accomplish
ments thus far into President
'arack Obama’s time in the White
House. Sanders responded that
he, Truman and Roosevelt wanted
lealthcare for all people as a right
a cost-effective way.
We’re not gonna tear up the
Affordable Care Act,” Sanders
§aid. i helped write it. But we are
^oing to move on top of that to a
^ledicare for all system.”
Hiough O’Malley fought for
gun violence issues.
She expressed frustration with
him voting against the Brady Bill
five times. The Brady Handgun
Violence Prevention Act, enacted
in 1993, required federal back
ground checks on firearm pur
chasers.
Sanders said he has a D-minus
rating from the National Rifle As
sociation and has always support
ed instant background checks. He
argued Clinton was inaccurately
portraying him as an ardent gun
supporter.
O’Malley immediately inter
jected that both candidates have
been inconsistent on the issue of
gun violence.
“I’ve listened to Secretary Clin
ton and Senator Sanders go back
and forth on which of them has
the most inconsistent record on
gun safety legislation,” O’Malley
said. “And I would have to agree
with both of them. They’ve both
been inconsistent when it comes
to this issue. I’m the one candi
date on this stage that actually
brought people together to pass
comprehensive gun safety legis
lation.”
As the debate progressed, ed
ucation became a more prevalent
issue.
“The young people that I talk
with are pretty disappointed
about the economic prospects
they feel they’re facing,” Clinton
said. “So making community col
lege free, making it possible to at
tend a public college or university
with debt-free tuition [are some
of my proposals].”
Sanders argued his plan would
go even further than Clinton by
making public colleges and uni
versities tuition free.
When asked how he would pay
for it, he said he’d place a tax on
Wall Street speculation and force
the wealthy to invest back into the
country they have abused in the
past.
“This country and the middle
class bailed out Wall Street,” Sand
ers said. “Now it is Wall Street’s
time to bail out the middle class.”
He also claimed Clinton was
incapable of making the best
choices for the country because of
her close relationship with Wail
Street.
“You’ve received over $600,000
in speaking fees from Goldman
Sachs in one year,” Sanders said.
“I find it very 'strange that a ma
jor financial institution that pays
$5 billion in fines for breaking the
law, not one of their executives is
prosecuted.”
The debate then concluded
with a discussion on foreign pol
icy and an opportunity for the
candidates to address an issue
that hadn’t been mentioned earli
er in the debate.
O’Malley said he would have
the federal government reevalu
ate its national security defense
strategies so that the U.S. forms
coalitions and builds allies.
• “Over the long term, we need
to develop new alliances,” O’Mal
ley said. “We need a much more
proactive national security strat
egy that reduces these threats
before they rise to a level where
it feels like we need to pull for a
division of marines.”
Sanders agreed there should be
comprehensive change in how in
volved the United States becomes
in international issues.
He emphasized the importance
of redirecting the military budget
to combat terrorism rather than
“fight the old Cold War with the
Soviet Union.”
orities of the defense department.”
Clinton argued she would be
the strongest candidate on foreign
affairs because of her experience
working with difficult individuals.
When asked about her rela
tionship with Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Clinton chuckled
and said, “It’s interesting. It’s one I
think of respect. We’ve had some
very tough dealings with one an
other, and I know he’s someone
you have to continually stand up
to. Like many bullies, he is some
body who will take as much as he
possibly can unless you do.”
Clinton currently finds herself
well ahead of Sanders in several
polls, including a 25-point lead in
the most recent NBC News/Wall
Street Journal poll. Other polls
"WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MAKING
FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN THE
PRIORITIES OFTHE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT."
MARTIN O'MALLEY
FORMER MARYLAND GOVERNOR
According to the Nation
al Priorities Project, a national
non-profit, non-partisan research
organization that makes federal
budget information accessible to
the public, 54 percent of total dis
cretionary spending in the United
States went to the military.
“Very little of that budget —
less than 10 percent — actually
goes into fighting ISIS and inter
national terrorism,” Sanders said.
“We need to think about making
fundamental changes in the pri
have a slimmer lead for Clinton
around 10 points, according to
Real Clear Politics. O’Malley lags
well behind Sanders and Clinton,
polling around 2 percent.
Though national polls are in
dicating the majority of Demo
cratic support going to Clinton,
Sanders is mounting a comeback
in important battleground states.
In Iowa, Clinton is leading by an
average of four points. In New
Hampshire, Sanders is ahead by
an average of six points.