Second night of the democratic debate with the United States: what did the candidates say? | USA News

The last night of the second debate on the US Democratic presidency in 2020 began Tuesday with a firework display, which pitted candidates against issues of immigration, health and race.

Former vice president Joe Biden, current favorite, has been the target of attacks from many candidates. But Biden had a more aggressive and aggressive tone than during the first debate when he was shaky and confused.

The former vice president has been time and again forced to defend his decades-old political record against the sharp attacks of his younger and diverse rivals, who claimed that Biden's eight-year relationship with the US, the US, the US, and the US. Former President Barack Obama was not reason enough to deserve the Democratic nomination.

Senators Michael Bennett, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro and entrepreneur Andrew Yang joined Biden on stage.

On Tuesday, 10 different candidates took the stage, with progressive and moderate clashes between the health system and socialism.

Although the first primary votes do not occur before six months, lower-ranked candidates feel urgent. More than half of the participants could be totally excluded from the next round of debate – and possibly excluded from the race – they were unable to reach the new voting and fundraising thresholds set up by the National Committee. Democrat.

Here is where the group of 10 Wednesday on some of the main issues.

Health care

Biden and Harris have clashed over their dueling health plans

The pair had a tense exchange during the opening debates last month in Miami – and lost little time before resuming the ball on Wednesday.

Harris said his proposal would extend health insurance to all Americans, while Biden's would "leave out" nearly 10 million.

Biden said his plan was too expensive and would cause many people to lose their current health insurance based on the employer. He said Harris was not honest about it, adding, "You can not beat President Trump with double-talk."

Harris said Biden was "simply inaccurate".

Bennet also weighed, suggesting that Harris had not been direct with plans for his "Medicare for All" plan.

Bennet said the plan would raise taxes for the middle clbad and ban private insurance

Harris released details of his health plan earlier this week. This would allow private health insurance plans that meet certain federal guidelines and would include a household income tax of over $ 100,000.

Harris accused Bennet of using "Republican talking points". She defended her plan by saying that nothing was illegal, but "separated the employer from health care".

Immigration

Biden and Castro clashed over immigration.

Castro promised to make the crossing of the US-Mexico border irregularly punishable by a civil sanction and repeated this call Wednesday.

This did not mean endorsing "open borders", but some members of his party, including some on the debate scene, "hooked" and were seduced by Republican rhetoric.

Biden said that he was not in favor of decriminalizing such a border post. He also stated that he had never heard Castro "talk about all this while he was secretary".

Castro replied, "It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and that one of us has not done it yet."

Booker then spoke after Biden to denounce the flaws found in the immigration policies of former President Barack Obama.

Booker compared Biden's position on immigration to that of Trump.

Booker said Biden's proposal to allow immigrants who attend US universities and hold doctorates to stay in the country for seven years is a centerpiece of Republicans.

He compared this to Trump's preference for immigrants from countries such as Sweden and Norway, compared to immigrants from African and Caribbean countries – whom the president termed "shitty country".

Booker said Biden "can not have everything".

"You invoke President Obama more than anyone in this campaign, you can not do it when it suits you and dodge it when it is not," said Booker.

Race

As expected, Trump was a major target of Wednesday night's debate. This event comes after weeks of racist and racist rhetoric on the part of the president, including telling four women of color members of Congress to "return" to their place of origin and call the Baltimore black majority city. infested with rats ".

Some Wednesday night candidates took the opportunity to call Trump "racist".

"We can no longer allow a white nationalist to be in the White House," Inslee said, as candidates debated immigration policy.

Castro followed later by calling Trump "racist".

Gillibrand said she felt a responsibility as a "white woman" to challenge institutional racism and to explain what the white privilege was and meant. She added that the two main black candidates, Harris and Booker, should not talk about race.

Discussing race, Harris said Biden's past work with segregationists in the US Senate could have prevented Obama from becoming the country's first black president.

"If these segregationists had worked, I would not be a member of the United States Senate, Cory Booker would not be a member of the US Senate and Barack Obama would not have been able to name" Biden to become vice -President President.

When in a hurry, Biden repeatedly relied on his relationship with Obama.

"We are talking about things that happened a very, very long time ago," said Biden. He added, "Everybody says how terrible I am about these issues." Barack Obama knew who I was.

Biden was surrounded on one side by Harris and on the other by Booker. When Biden greeted Harris on stage moments before the opening statements, he joked, "Go easy, kid."

In his opening address, Biden stated that Trump was tearing the "fabric of America" ​​apart and highlighted the value of diversity in his opening remarks.

"Mr. President, it's America," said Biden about the diversity of the candidates on stage.

Harris also referred to Trump's division presidency.

"It's becoming a moment where we have to fight for the best of what we are," said Harris. "We are better than that."

Climate change

Gillibrand said engaging in the fight against climate change would be her top priority if she were elected president – but the first thing she would do if she was elected was "Clorox the Oval Office".

The Democratic presidential candidates have largely subscribed to the general objective of combating climate change, but differed according to the degree of urgency.

Inslee said Biden's climate plan had not weaned the country fast enough from fossil fuels.

According to Inslee, "intermediate solutions as proposed by the Vice President … will not save us … Too little, too late, it is too dangerous".

Mr Biden said he was determined to again engage the international community in the fight against climate change and to join the Paris Climate Agreement.