Hawaii congresswoman tulsi gabbard. Washington governor jay inslee. Minnesota senator amy klobuchar. Former texas congressman beto orourke. Ohio congressman tim ryan. And massachusetts senator elizabeth warren. From nbc news, decision 2020. The Democratic Candidates debate. Live from the Adrienne Arsht performing arts center. And good evening, again, everyone. Welcome to the candidates and to our oaudience in miami in the arsht center, at home across the country. Tonight were going to take on many of the most pressing issues of the moment including immigratio were going to talk about the tensions with iran. Climate change. And, of course, well talk about the economy. Those kitchentable issues so Many Americans face every day. And some quick rules of the road. Before we begin, 20 candidates qualified for this first debate. Well hear from ten tonight and ten more tomorrow. The breakdown for each was selected at random. The candidates will have 60 seconds to answer and 30 seconds for any followups. Because of this large field, not every person will be able to comment on every topic, but over the course of the next two hours we will hear from everyone. Wed also like to ask the audience to keep the reactions to a minimum. We are not going to be shy about making sure the candidates stick to time tonight. All right. So with that business out of the setor elizabeth warren. Senator, good evening to you. Thank you. Good to be here. You have many plans. Free college. Free childcare. Government health care. Cancelation of student debt. New taxes. New regulations. The breakup of major corporations. This comes at a time when 71 of americans say the economy is doing well. Including 60 of democrats. What do you say to those who worry this kind of significant change could be risky to the economy . So, i think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for . Its doing great for thinner and thinner slice at the top. Its doing great for giant drug companies. Its not doing great for people who are trying to get a prescription filled. Its doing great for people who want to invest in private prisons. Just not for the africanamericans and latin families whose teams were torn apart whose lives were destroyed and communities were ruined. Its doing great for giant Oil Companies that want to drill everywhere. Just not for the rest of us who are watching Climate Change bear down upon us. When you got a government, when youve got an economy that does great for those with money, and isnt doing great for everyone else, that is corruption pure and simple. We need to call it out. We need to attack it headon. And we need to make structural change in our government, in our economy, and in our country. Senator klobuchar. Youve called programs like free college something you might do if you were, quote, a magic gengen genie. To be blunt, are the Government Programs and benefits some of your rivals are offering giving your voters, people, a false sense of whats actually achievable . Well, first, the economy, we know that not everyone is sharing in this prosperity. And donald trump just sits in the white house and gloats about whats going on. When you have so many people that are having trouble affording college, and having trouble affording their premiums. So, i do get concerned about paying for college for rich kids. I do. But i think, my plan, is a good one and my plan would be to first of all make Community College free. And make sure that everyone else besides that top percentile gets help with their education. My own dad and my sister got their first degrees with Community College. Theres many paths to success as well as certifications. Secondly, i use programs, i double them, from 6,000 to 12,000 a year and expand it to the number of families that get covered. To families that make up to 100,000. And then the third thing i would do is make it easier for students to pay off their Student Loans because i can tell you this, if billionaires can pay off their yachts, students should be able to pay off their Student Loans. Thats time. Thank you. Congressman orourke, what weve just been discussing and talking about is how much fundamental change to the economy is desirable and how much is actual doable. In that vain, some democrats want a marginal tax rate of 70 on the very highest earners, those making more than 10 million a year. Would you support that, and if not, what would your top individual rate be . This economy has got to work for everyone, and right now, we know that it isnt. Its going to take all of us coming together to make sure that it does. [ speaking spanish ] 3 f2 en Nuestra Democracia cada a 2 trillion tax cut that favored corporations while they were sitting on record piles of cash and the very wealthiest in in this country at a time of historic wealth inequality. A new democracy that is revived because we returned pow tore the people. No pacs. No gerrymandering. Automatic and samef day Voter Registration to bring in new voters and Voting Rights act to get rid of the barriers congressman orourke. We have a voice in our democracy and make the economy work for everyone. Thats time, sir. Ill give you ten seconds to answer if you want to answer the direct question, would you support a 70 individual marginal tax rate, yes, no, or pass . I would support a tax rate and tax code thats fair to everyone. Tax capital at the same rate . At the same rate you tax ordinary income, tick the Corporate Tax rate up to 28 , youd generate the programs we need to pay for. Thats time. Thank you. Senator booker, there is a debate in this party right now about the role of corporations as you know. Senator warren in particular put out a plan to break up Tech Companies like facebook, amazon and google. You said we should not, quote, be running around pointing at companies and breaking them up without any kind of process. Why do you disagree . H. I dont think i disagree. I think we have a serious problem in our country with corporate consolidation. You see the evidence in that of how dignity is being stripped from labor. We have people who work fulltime jobs and still cant make a living wage. We see that because Consumer Prices are being raised by pharmaceutical companies that often have monopolistic holds on drugs and you see that by just the fact this is actual an economy thats hurting Small Businesses and not allowing them to compete. One of the most aggressive bills in the senate, to deal with corporate consolidation, is mine about corporate consolidation in the ag sectsector. I feel strongly about the need to check the corporate consolidation and let the free market work. I tell you this, i live in a low income black and brown community. I see every single day this economy is not working for average americans. The indicators that are being used from gdp to wall streets rankings is not helping people in my community. It is about time that we have an economy that works for everybody. Not just the wealthiest in our nation. Quickly, senator booker, you did say that you didnt think it was right to name names, to Name Companies and single them out as senator rr out Companies Like halliburton or amazon that pay nothing in taxes and need to change that. When it comes to antitrust law, what i will do is, number one, appoint judges that will enforce it. Number two, have a doj and a federal trade commission that will go through the processes necessary to check this kind of corporate concentration. At the end of the day, we have too much of a problem with Corporate Power growing. We see that with everything from Citizens United and the way theyre trying to influence washington. Its about time that we have a president that fights for the people in this country. Thats time, sir. Who need to have someone thats a champion for them. Senator warren, i mentioned you. Are you picking winners and losers . So the way i understand this is there is way too much consolidation now in giant industries in this country. That hurts workers, it hurts Small Businesses, it hurts independent farmers, it hurts our economy overall. And it helps constrict real innovation and growth in this economy. Now, look, weve had the laws out there for a long time. To be able to fight back. Whats been missing is courage. Courage in washington to take on the giants. Thats part of the corruption in this system. It has been far too long that the monopolies have been making the campaign contributions, have been funding the superpacs, have been out there making sure that their influence is heard and felt in every single decision that gets made in washington. Where i want to start this is i want to return government to th out the names of theond saying question is for you, democrats lking about the pay what would you do to ensure that women are paid fairly in this country . Thank you very much for that question, lester. You know, i grew up with a mother who raised my brother, joaquin and me as a single parent. I know what its like to struggle. I know what its like to rent a home and to worry about whether youre going to be able to pay the rent at the first of the month and to see a mom work very, very hard and know that moms across this country are getting paid less, simply because theyre women, i would do several things, starting with something we should have done a long time ago, which is to pass the equal rights amendment finally in this country, and also, pursue legislation so that women are paid equal pay for ual rk in this country. Its past time that we didpros century, we need to make sure that women are paid what they deserve. All right. I want to put the same question to congresswoman gabbard. Your thoughts on equal pay. That the American People deserve a president who will put your interests ahead of the rich and powerful. Thats not what we have right now. I enlisted in the Army National guard after the al qaeda terror attacks on 9 11 so i could go after those who attacked us on that day. I still serve as a major. Served over 16 years. Deployed twice to the middle east. In congress served on the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees for over six years. I know the importance of our National Security as well as the terribly high cost of war. And for too long our leaders have failed us taking us from one regime change war to the next, leading us into a new cold war and arms race, costing us trillions of our hardearn ss lives. This insanity must end. As president , i will take your instead, invest those dollars le health care. R needs. A green economy. Goodpaying jobs. Protecting our environment. And so much more. Mayor de blasio, youre the mayor of the biggest city in the United States, but its also one of the cities in the country with a greatest gap between the wealthy and the poor. How would you address income inequality . Well, weve been addressing income inequality in new york city by raising wages, by raising benefits, by putting money back in the hands of working people. 15 minimum wage, paid sick days, prek for all. Things that are making a huge difference in working peoples lives. Let me tell you, what were hearing in the first round of questions is the battle for the heart and soul of our party. I want to make it clear, this is supposed to be the party of working people. Yes, were supposed to be for 70 tax rate on the wealthy. Yes, were supposed to be for free college, free public college, for our young people. We are supposed to break up big corporations when theyre not serving our democracy. This Democratic Party has to be strong and bold and progressive, and in new york, weve proven that we can do something very different. We can put money back in the hands of working people, and let me tell you, every time you talk about investing in people and their communities, you hear folks say theres not enough money. What i say to them every single time, theres plenty of money in this world, plenty of money in this country, its just in the wrong hands. Thank you. We democrats have to fix that. Congressman delaney, you agree . I think we need to do real things to help american worke e and the American People. Right . This is the issue that all of us hear on the campaign trail. We need too make sure everyone has a living wage. I called foring of the earned income tax credit and creating paid family leave. That will create a situation where people actually have a living wage. That gets ri right to workers. We have to fix our Public Education system. Nor college a School Career and Tactical Training programs doing that. You know, im very different than everyone else on the stage. Prior to being in congress, i was an entrepreneur. I started two businesses. I created thousands of jobs. I spent my whole career helping small to midsized businesses all over the country. 5,000 of them, 5,000 of them, i supported. The Obama Administration gave me an award for lending to disadvantaged communities. I know how to create jobs. We need a shortterm strategy which is to put money in the pockets of workers with earned income tax credit, raising the minimum wage and creating paid family leave, and then we need to have a longterm strategy to make sure this country is competitive and were creating jobs everywhere. This country. Governor inslee, how would you address income inequality . Well, im a little bit surprised. I think plans are great, but im a governor and we got to realize the people who brought us the weekend unions, going to bring us a long overdue raise in america. Im proud of standing up for unions. I got a plan to reinvigorate collective bargaining so we can increase wages finally. I march e eed with the sciu fol. Its not right the ceo of mcdonalds makes 2,100 times more than the people making hash at mcdonalds. The next thing ill do is put people to work in the jobs of the president and the future. Look it, donald trump is simply wrong. He says Wind Turbines cause cancer. We know they cause jobs. And we know that we can put millions of people to work in the Clean Energy Jobs of the future. Carpenters. Machinists. Were doing it in my state today. And then we can do what america always does, lead the world and invent the future and put people to work. Thats what were going to do. Congressman ryan, President Trump, and you just referred to him, promised that manufacturing jobs were all coming back to places like your home state of ohio. Can you make that same promise . Yes, i believe you can, but first lets say the president came, he said dont sell your house, the people in youngstown, ohio, and in his administration, just in the last two years, we lost 4,000 4,000 jobs at a General Motors facility. That rippled throughout our community. General motors got a tax cut. General motors got a bailout. And then they have the audacity to move a new car that theyre going to produce to mexico. Ive had family members that have to unbolt a machine from the factory floor, put it in a box, and ship it to china. My area where i come from in northeast ohio, this issue were talking about here, its been going on 40 years. The bottom 60 havent seen a raise since 1980. Meanwhile, the top 1 control 90 of the wealth. We need an industrial policy saying were going to dominate building electric vehicles. Theres going to be 30 million made in the next 10 years. I want half of them made in the United States. I want to dominate the solar industry. Thank you. And manufacture those here in the United States. Senator warren, are they coming back . Are these jobs coming back . So weve had an industrial policy in the United States for decades now and its basically been let giant corporations do whatever they want to do. Giant corporations have exactly one loyalty, and that is to profit. And if they can save a nickel by moving a job to mexico or to asia or to canada, theyre going to do it. So heres what i propose for an industrial policy. Start with a place where theres real need. Theres going to be a worldwide need for green technology. Ways to clean up the air. Ways to clean up the water. And we can be the ones to provide that. We need to go tenfold in our research and development on green energy going forward. And then we need to any corporation can come and use that research. They can make all kinds of prod but they have to be manufactured right here in the United States of america. And then we have to double down and sell it around the world. Theres a 23 trillion market coming for green products. We should be the leaders and the owners and we should have that 1. 2 Million Manufacturing jobs here in america. We can do this. All right. Were going to turn to the issue of health care right now. Really try to understand where there may or may not be daylight between you. Many people watching at home have Health Insurance coverage through their employer. Who here would abolish their private Health Insurance in favor of a governmentrun plan . Just a show of hands to start off with. All right. Well, senator klobuchar, let me put the question to you. Youre one of the democrats who wants to keep private insurance in addition to a Government Health care plan. Why is an incremental approach, in your view, better than a sweeping overhaul . I think its a bold app