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Democrats divided on health care
Democrats differ over issue during 2nd night of debate
Deep rifts within the party evident in dispute between Biden, Harris at Wednesday’s debate in Detroit.
DETROIT — Democrats intensified an acrimonious battle over health care on Wednesday that showcased deep divisions within the party and focused on the dispute between former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris.
Their divisions were reinforced by their ideological allies from the progressive and moderate wings of the party, with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker occasionally playing the role of peacemaker.
Biden charged that Harris’ health care plan would cost taxpayers $3 trillion even after two terms in office and would force middle-class taxes to go up, not down. He said that would put Democrats at a disadvantage against President Donald Trump.
“You can’t beat President Trump with double talk on this plan,” he said.
Harris slapped back that Biden was inaccurate.
“The cost of doing nothing is far too expensive,” Harris said. “Your plan does not cover everyone in America.”
There were also tense exchanges on immigration early on the second night of Democratic debates that pitted the 76-year-old Biden against a younger slate of more diverse candidates. There were no candidates of color onstage in the first wave Tuesday night. On Wednesday night, there were four.
Biden was flanked by Harris on one side and Booker on the other. As Biden greeted Harris onstage moments before the opening statements, he quipped, “Go easy on me, kid.”
Their generational and racial differences were on display last month in the first debate, when Harris hammered Biden for his opposition to federal courtordered busing in the 1970s as a way to desegregate public schools like Harris's elementary school in California.
Wednesday’s debate comes 24 hours after another set of 10 Democrats debated, fiercely at times, over the direction of their party.
In addition to Harris and Booker, Biden’s more progressive opponents include Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
In addition to health care, the candidates also had sharp disagreement on immigration, highlighting a persistent fault line between the more liberal and moderate candidates.
Biden suggested that some of his rivals favor immigration laws that are far too forgiving.
Castro, for example, would decriminalize illegal border crossings.
“People should have to get in line. That’s the problem,” Biden charged.
Castro shot back: “It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one has not.”
While the first primary votes won’t come for six more months, there is a sense of urgency for the lower-tier candidates to break out.
More than half the field could be blocked from the next round of debates altogether if they fail to reach new polling and fundraising thresholds implemented by the Democratic National Committee.
The dire stakes have forced many Democrats to turn away from Trump and turn against one another in recent weeks.
Diversity was an early focus.
Biden said Trump was tearing at the “fabric of America” and highlighted the value of diversity in his opening statement.
“Mr. President, this is America,” Biden said of the diverse slate of candidates on stage.
Harris also referenced Trump’s divisive presidency.
“This becomes a moment we must fight for the best of who we are,” Harris said. “We are better than this.”
Booker jabbed Biden at times, even as he warned that Democrats were handing Trump an easy issue by ridiculing one another’s plans.
“That, to me, is dividing a party and demoralizing us in the face of the real enemy here,” he said.
Inslee was the first candidate on the debate stage to call Trump a racist.
“We can no longer allow a white nationalist to be in the White House,” Inslee said as candidates debated immigration policy.
Democrats and some Republicans have criticized Trump in recent weeks for using Twitter to say four Democratic women in Congress should “go back” to their countries of origin. All four are U.S. citizens, and three were born in the country.
While there is ample evidence that Democrats are paying close attention to the 2020 contest, this week’s midsummer faceoff is attracting a smaller audience than the first round of debates.
The Nielsen company said that just under 8.7 million people watched Tuesday’s prime-time debate on CNN. That’s compared to 15.3 million people who watched the first night of last month’s debates.