Warren Embraces ‘Medicare For All’ But Plan Gets The Cold Shoulder From Most Candidates At First Night Of Debates

The New York Times: Democrats Diverge On Economy And Immigration In First Debate
Democratic presidential candidates leveled a stark critique of President Trump’s immigration policies and the condition of the American working class in the first primary debate on Wednesday, but split in unmistakable terms over just how aggressively the next president should seek to transform the country along more liberal lines. (Martin and Bruns, 6/26)

The Associated Press: Health Care, Immigration Top Issues At Democrats’ 1st Debate
Health care and immigration, more than any other issues, led the debate. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, more than anyone else, stood out — on her own at times — in calling for “fundamental change” across the nation’s economy and government to address a widening gap between the rich and the middle class. “I think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for? It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top,” Warren declared shortly before raising her hand as one of the only Democrats on stage willing to abolish her own private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan. “Health care is a basic human right, and I will fight for basic human rights.” (Summers and Peoples, 6/27)

The New York Times: Who Won The First Debate? Experts On The Left And Right Weigh In
Senator Elizabeth Warren, the only person on the stage Wednesday polling in double digits, was expected to be the star of the first Democratic debate — and for the first half-hour, she was. But by the end, several lower-polling candidates had taken the spotlight: Senators Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar, and especially Julián Castro. Twitter is a bad gauge for public opinion, but a decent source for the assessments of political experts, including those who know the stakes of debates best: veteran campaign strategists and consultants from both parties. Here is a sampling of their responses. (Astor, 6/27)

The New York Times: Which Candidates And Topics Got The Most Time During The Democratic Debate
Two candidates raised their hands when asked whether they supported abolishing private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan, often called “Medicare for all”: Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mr. de Blasio. Other candidates expressed support for a public option, in which everyone would have the option to buy a government-run health care plan, while still giving people the option to buy private insurance, at least in the immediate future. (6/26)

CNN: Democratic Debate Highlights: 8 Takeaways From The First Night
"I'm with Bernie on 'Medicare for all,' " Warren said. Her answer further narrowed the political distance between Warren and Sanders, who will be on the debate stage Thursday night. (Bradner, Krieg and Merica, 6/27)

Los Angeles Times: Eight Takeaways From Night 1 Of The Democratic Debate
‘Medicare for all’ is politically messy. The candidates all like to vow their support for it, but the debate laid bare how starkly different their approaches are. Only two of the candidates onstage, Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, said they want to end private insurance. They argued intensely over the merits of scrapping the entire insurance system, with the more moderate candidates warning such a move could destabilize the entire healthcare system. (Halper, 6/26)

Politico: Warren Backs Eliminating Private Insurance For 'Medicare For All'
[Warren] characterized commercial health plans as a central part of a broken medical system, taking a more vigorous line of attack than in the past on a subject that has become a litmus test for many progressive voters. “Look at the business model of an insurance company,” Warren said. “It's to bring in as many dollars as they can in premiums and to pay out as few dollars as possible for your health care. That leaves families with rising premiums, rising copays and fighting with insurance companies to try to get the health care that their doctors say that they and their children need. Medicare for All solves that problem.” (Roubein, 6/26)

Reuters: Factbox-Democratic Presidential Candidates Spar On Health Insurance, Immigration And More
Warren rejected politicians who call such proposals impossible. "What they're really telling you is they just won't fight for it," she said. "Well, healthcare is a basic human right, and I will fight for basic human rights." When former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke said he would not eliminate private insurance, de Blasio interrupted: "How can you defend a system that is not working?" Former Congressman John Delaney of Maryland, a little-known candidate, muscled his way into the conversation to defend the position of the party's moderate wing. He pointed out that his father enjoyed the private health benefits negotiated through his union. "Why do we have to stand for taking away something from people?" (Stein and Gibson, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Democratic Debate Bares Divisions On Health Care, Unity Against Trump
Some of the more centrist candidates, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, pushed back on Ms. Warren’s stance. “I think we should be the party that keeps what’s working and fixes what’s broken,” Mr. Delaney said. All the hopefuls seemed to agree they would go further than President Obama did in widening access to health care. (Thomas, Jamerson and Day, 6/27)

Politico: The Landmine That Just Got Laid For Elizabeth Warren
After pushing back on the idea of taking something away from Americans that most are reasonably happy with, Delaney said this: "Also it’s bad policy. If you go to every hospital in this country and you ask them one question, which is how would it have been for you last year if every one of your bills were paid at the Medicare rate? Every single hospital administrator said they would close." .... As an argument inside the Democratic Party, where "Medicare for All” is a rallying cry, this may not resonate. But once there's a general election, it's a new landscape, and if Warren—or Bernie Sanders, who shares the “no private insurance” view—makes it to that stage, it could be a much bigger deal. (Greenfield, 6/27)

The New York Times: John Delaney On Universal Health Care
John Delaney, a former congressman from Maryland, has proposed a universal health care system based on a combination of government coverage and private insurance. (Astor, 6/26)

Kaiser Health News/PolitiFact: ‘Medicare For All’ Emerges As Early Divide In First Democratic Debate
During Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential primary debate — the first in a two-night event viewed as the de facto launch of the primary season — health policies,  ranging from “Medicare for All” to efforts to curb skyrocketing drug prices, were among the key issues the 10 hopeful candidates onstage used to help differentiate themselves from the pack. Health care dominated early, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Cory Booker (N.J.) using questions about the economy to take aim at pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) emphasized the difficulties many Americans face in paying premiums. (Luthra and Greenberg, 6/27)

The New York Times: Fact-Checking Night 1 Of The 2020 Democratic Debates
Here is how the candidates’ remarks stacked up against the truth.... Sen. Amy Klobuchar: “I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years, which is exactly what this bill says.” Mostly true. Ms. Klobuchar was referring to Senator Bernie Sanders’s bill that would put a Medicare-for-all national health insurance program into effect over a four-year period. His bill would create a universal Medicare program that would cover all Americans — including the roughly half who are currently covered by employer plans — with generous benefits and minimal out-of-pocket costs. Private insurers could offer coverage only for services not covered by the public program, such as cosmetic surgery. (6/26)

The New York Times: There Were 3 Women Onstage, And A Man Had A Lot To Say About His Work On Abortion
It took 30 minutes or so for Senator Elizabeth Warren to wind toward well-worn territory for her: a riff on the evils of insurance companies. “It’s not working for families,” she said, “But it’s sure as heck working for them. It’s time for us to make families come first.” It took barely a moment more for another familiar scene: a male peer cutting in as she spoke. “It should not be an option in the United States of America for any insurance company to deny women coverage for their exercise of their right of choice,” Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington interjected, pounding the air with his fist. “And I am the only candidate here who has passed a law protecting a woman’s right of reproductive health in health insurance.” (Flegenheimer, 6/26)

Los Angeles Times: Democratic Debate: Candidates Tackle Immigration, Taxes, Climate Change And Guns
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee boasted of his executive standing, contrasting it with the many congressional lawmakers on stage, saying he had done more than any other to protect a woman's legal right to abortion — which drew a tart rejoinder from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. "There's three women up here who have fought pretty hard for a woman's right to choose," she dryly noted, drawing cheers and applause from the studio audience. (Barabak and Mason, 6/26)

Bloomberg: Debate Highlights: Medicare For All Splits Dems On Health Care
Democratic candidates split over one of the biggest issues in the race to find a 2020 presidential nominee: whether or not to replace the U.S.’s system of largely private health insurance with government-run health-care known as Medicare for All. Expanding a Medicare-like program to all Americans is popular with the party’s progressive wing, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders. But the questions candidates faced on Wednesday night, and the split among Democrats, reflected the mixed support voters give to the idea when they consider the details. (Kapur and Edney, 6/26)