Appearing Friday on CNN, Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) 2020 communications director insisted the White House hopeful remains “very clear” on her health care position despite repeated reversals on the issue.
Harris claimed Friday she misinterpreted a question during Thursday evening’s 2020 Democrat presidential debate about abolishing private health insurance. The California Democrat raised her hand when candidates where asked if their plans would “abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan.”
A partial transcript is as follows:
KATE BOLDUAN: Harris raised her hand last night to the question when asked by NBC “would you abolish private insurance in favor of a government-run plan?” She now says that the question that she was answering was about her own insurance. But Lily, we know that same question was a big moment the night before and it was clear then that the question was about abolishing all private insurance. Did she really not understand?
LILY ADAMS: I think when Lester said that it was there private insurance, she did mean to take that as her plan. I will just tell you that I don’t think she was parsing her words in the debate. I’m telling you what the transcript says. I’d be happy to look at it again. But I think she was clear. She’s been on a bill for a long time now, Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill, that obviously preserves the options of supplemental private insurance for folks that need it. The conversations that she’s hearing with voters is “Am I going to be able to see my doctor?” 91 percent of doctors are in Medicare. I think that this is a place where maybe this is a conversation going on in the Washington bubbles a little outside of the step of what we’re hearing in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
BOLDUAN: Just because 90 percent of doctors, except Medicare right now, does not mean that they will forever, especially if the entire health care system is overhauled. On the most basic level, this is something like the third go-around of her having to clarify and facing questions on where is your position on Medicare for All where is the line and where do you stand. Is that not a problem?
ADAMS: I don’t think so. She’s been very clear. In fact, there’s a whole bill that she’s signed on to. That is her plan. Folks can go and read it, reporters can go and read it. What the political reporters try to do is make this into a box-checking exercise.