Buttigieg says Warren more specific about ‘selfies’ than health care plan
Pete Buttigieg, continuing his criticism of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said Wednesday his 2020 rival has been “more specific and forthcoming about the number of selfies she’s taken” than about laying out details of how she’d pay for “Medicare for All.”
“Not only is it important to have ‘yes-or-no’ answers to ‘yes-or-no’ questions at a time when people are so frustrated with Washington speak, but also there’s still been no explanation for a multitrillion-dollar hole in this plan,” the South Bend, Indiana, mayor told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” “I have a lot of respect for Senator Warren, but last night she was more specific and forthcoming about the number of selfies she’s taken than about how this plan is going to be funded. And that’s a real problem, especially when there’s a better way to deliver health care coverage to everybody.”
Buttigieg was among several Democratic presidential candidates who took aim at Warren during the fourth Democratic primary debate hosted CNN and The New York Times on Tuesday night. He has criticized Warren over her support for Medicare for All and criticized her again during the debate for not directly answering a “yes-or-no” question on how she would fund such a proposal.
Warren supports Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposed plan, which would create a national government-run health care program and eliminate the private insurance industry — something several candidates criticized during the debate.
Buttigieg, who has fashioned himself as a centrist candidate as the Democratic Party has veered leftward, was among the Democrats onstage Tuesday night who challenged Warren, who has emerged as a front-runner in the 2020 field. The Massachusetts senator was constantly on defense throughout the debate, underscoring a marked shift in the Democratic race that has been underway for many weeks: while former Vice President Joe Biden has remained strong in the polls, the other candidates in the race clearly now see Warren as the real competition.
Sanders has said taxes would go up for all in order to pay for Medicare for All, but those costs would be offset by the elimination of health care fees.
