Health care took center stage as the second Democratic presidential debate kicked off Tuesday night.
During the event, the 10 candidates on the stage were asked whether their health care proposals would include insurance coverage for undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. frequently struggle to access health care because they lack insurance. 45 percent of the general (non-elderly) adult population that is undocumented are not covered, compared to 8 percent of U.S. citizens, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health care research non-profit.
During the debate, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said that supporting health care for undocumented immigrants would incentivize more unauthorized crossings.
"We've got 100,000 people showing up at the border right now. If we decriminalize entry, if we give health care to everyone, we'll have multiples of that," he said, later adding: "A sane immigration system needs a sane leader. And we can do that without decriminalizing and providing health care for everyone."
When pressed with that concern, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said it wouldn't happen "because we'll have strong border protections."
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan too said he wouldn't support funding health care for undocumented immigrants, expressing concerns that the proposal could turn off swing voters. He then added, "As far as the health care goes, undocumented people can buy health care too. I mean everyone else in America is paying for their health care … I don't think it's a stretch for us to ask undocumented people in the country to also pay for health care."
Currently, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for benefits guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act. Undocumented immigrants also cannot access tax-funded health care programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, despite generating $12 billion in payroll taxes annually.
Earlier this month, though, California became the first state to make some undocumented immigrants eligible for Medicaid, an expansion that will be funded through state tax revenue.
Sanders used his support for funding undocumented people's health care as an opportunity to affirm his Medicare for All plan, which would move Americans from a private health insurance market to a public system used by everyone.
"I happen to believe that when I talk about health care as a human right, that applies to all people in this country and under a Medicare for All single-payer system, we could afford to do that," the Vermont senator said.
His plan has picked up some mainstream support since he ran in the 2016 race, and is supported by other candidates, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
When asked how she would pay for a national health care system, Warren said that costs will rise for billionaires and corporations, while total costs for middle class families will decline.
Other candidates said that Medicare for All will force people off their current insurance, with some, such as Ryan, pointing to hard-negotiated insurance benefits that trade unions have fought for. The plan has also faced criticism from some candidates who say that it will raise taxes on the middle class.
Throughout his campaign Sanders has similarly stressed that while taxes might rise, families would no longer be paying for insurance, meaning that total costs spent on health care would be reduced.
But it has faced criticism from moderate candidates such Rep. John Delaney, who called the plan "political suicide."
In his opening statement, Delaney called the proposal one of several "impossible promises that will turn off independent voters and get Trump re-elected."
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said that Medicare for All is not a policy that could help flip congressional districts that President Donald Trump won in 2016 and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar echoed those objections.
The debate over health care for undocumented people echoed discussion durinig the first debate last month.
On the second night, all 10 candidates on stage, including former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris, raised their hands when asked if they would include health care for undocumented immigrants in their plans.
People of African and Middle Eastern descent fleeing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are facing the double trauma of racism at the borders. Professor of law and migration studies at the University of San Francisco, Bill Hing, joined Cheddar News Wrap to discuss what some are describing as a double standard for other refugees escaping the war. "Those that are from the Middle East and from Africa who just happen to be in Ukraine, for example on a student visa, they are not going to be able to get into Poland or another area of the Schengen area because they are not natural Ukrainian," he said.
Add FIFA to the list of organizations announcing a break with Russia. The world soccer authority has suspended the nation from competing in the 2022 World Cup tournament, while the NHL also announced suspending business relations with Russia. Executive editor and senior writer at Sports Illustrated, Jon Wertheim, joined Cheddar News to discuss the rebukes. "I think a big element of this is, this is a way to really hit at Putin because we know how much this appearance of strength and the victory… often portrayed through sports, how much that means to him," he said. "This will bother him in a way that it might not bother other world leaders."
Prices at the pump have escalated severely during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, joined Cheddar News to explain how he sees the gas prices continuing to spiral despite the International Energy Agency announcing the release of 60 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserves of 31 countries. "We think you could see oil and gas prices continue to rise. Oil prices maybe could hit $140 a barrel. That's possible. And that would add another 50-60 cents on top of the gasoline prices you already have," he said.
President Joe Biden is set to give his first State of the Union address amid both international and domestic crises: the Russia-Ukraine conflict and continued rising inflation and economic worries at home. He's expected to focus on a four-point plan to reduce everyday costs, and promote economic competition, among other key tenets. But will it be enough to persuade Americans that his administration will be able to get rising prices and foreign policy moves under control? Eugene Scott, national politics reporter at The Washington Post, joins Closing Bell to discuss Biden's expected focus, how he will aim to ease Americans' concerns, and more.
Dr. Daniel Bober, psychiatrist and certified addiction medicine physician, joins Cheddar News to offer tips on how parents and guardians can talk to their children about what's happening in Ukraine.
While crypto exchanges have been used to aid Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, critics point to possible sanction evasion on the Russian side using the same technology. Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo takes a closer look.
Airbnb.org has announced that it will provide up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with free housing. Airbnb.org is the philanthropic branch of Airbnb that provides free housing for those affected by disasters. Joe Gebbia, co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the company has helped thousands find shelter in times of crisis. "A lot of people are saying this conflict is likely to be the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, and I believe Airbnb believes that companies have a responsibility to step up and to help out in times like these," he said.
The International Energy Agency’s 31 member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves “to send a strong message to oil markets” that supplies won’t fall short after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Every ten years, there’s a census. That decennial count is long and tedious and arduous…and important. Because it confirms who lives where so the Federal Government properly allocates resources, so services go to the places that need them most and - yes - so states gain or lose seats in congress and have the opportunity to redraw all their state and Congressional lines.
That means, every 10 years, states start what has famously been one of the most partisan and divisive processes in politics. Because one strategic line can mean the difference in party control in not just the state legislatures but also in congress.
Cheddar explains how gerrymandering works and why it exists.
