New york senator, kiersten jill brand. California senator calculators calculators. John hickenlooper. Bernie sanders, california congressman eric swalwell. Author, marianne women some pson and former tech executive. Andrew chang. The 2020 democratic debate. Live from the perform, arts center in miami, florida. And good evening. Welcome to the candidates and our very own audience here tonight. We are centered across america tonight. We continue the spirited debate about the future of the country and attacking the biggest problems and getting to heart of the biggest issues. Tonight we will talk about healthcare, immigration, we will dive into the economy and Climate Change as well. As a quick rules of the road before we begin. They may sound familiar. 20 candidates qualify for this first debate. As we said we heard from ten last night. We will hear from ten more tonight. The breakdown for each night was selected at random. The candidates will have 60 seconds to answer. 30 second for any followups. Because of the large field of candidates, not every person is going to be able to weigh in on every topic. Over the course of the next two hours, we will hear from everyone. We love our audience. But wed like to ask them to keep their reactions to a minimum. Were not going to hold back on making sure the candidates stick to time. So, for that business taken care of, lets get to it. We will start today with senator sanders. Good evening to you. You called for big, new government benefits like universal healthcare and free college. In a recent interview you said you suspected americans would be quote delighted to pay more taxes for things like that my question to you is, will taxes go up for the middle class in a Sanders Administration and, if so, how do you sell that to voters . Well, are you quite right. We have a new vision for america and at a time when we have three people in this country owning more wealth than the bottom half of america, while 500,000 people are sleeping out on the streets today, we think it is time for change, real change. And by that, i mean, that health care in my view is a human right. And we have got to pass a medicare for all single payer system. Under that system, by the way, thats majority of the people in this country will be paying significantly less for healthcare than they are right now. I believe that education is the future for this country. And that is why i believe that we must make public colleges and universities tuition free and eliminate student debt and we do that by placing a tax on wall street. Every proposal that i have brought forth is fully paid for. . Senator sanders, im give you ten seconds to answer the very direct question, will you raise toxs for the middle class in a Sanders Administration . People who have healthcare under medicare for all will have no premiums, no deductibles, no copayments, no out of pocket expenses, yes, they will pay more in taxes but less in healthcare for what they get. Thank you, senator. Senator bennett, were going to get to everybody, senator biden, promise, everybody will get in here, promise. Vice president biden, senator sanders, as you know, has been calling for a revolution. Recently in remarks to a group of wealthy donors as you were speaking about the problem of nikkei a income and equality. You said we shouldnt demonize the rich, no one has to be punished. No ones standard of living would change. Nothing would fundamentally change. What did you mean by that . What i meant by that is, look, donald trump thinks middle class built america. Ordinary citizens built america. My dad had a, way, its about looking your kid in the eye and saying everything will be okay. Too many people middle class and poor had the bottom fall out under this proposal. What im saying is we have to be straight forward. We have to understand to return dignity to the middle class they have to be insurance that is covered and they can afford it. They have tobacco maur when youre in is situation where there is continuing education, theyre able to pay for it. They have to make sure they are able to breathe air that is clean and they have water that they can drink. Look, donald trump has put us in a horrible situation. With dough enormous income and equality. The one thing i agree on is we can make massive cuts in the 1. 6 trillion if tax loopholes out there, i would be going about eliminating Donald Trumps tax cuts for the wealthy. Vice president biden, thank you. Senator harris, their a lot of talk in this primary about if you government benefits, such as student loan cancellation, free college, healthcare and more. Do you think that democrats have a responsibility to explain how they will pay for every proposal they make along those lines . Well, let me tell you something, i hear that question, but where was that question when the republicans and donald trump passed a tax bill that benefits the top 1 and the biggest corporations in this country contributing at least 1 trillion to the debt of america, which middle class families will pay for one way or another. Working families need support and need to be lifted up, and, frankly, there economy is not working for working people. For too long, the rules have been written in the favor of the people who have the most and not in favor of the people who work the most. Which is why i am propose tag we change tax code, so for every family that is making less than 100,000 a year, they will receive a tax credit that they can collect up to 3500 a month, which will make all the difference between those families get through the end of the month with dignity and support and day one i will repeal that tax bill that benefits the 1 in the biggest corporations of america. Senator harris, thank you. Governor, you warned that democrats will lose in 2020 if they embrace socialism as you put it. You were booed at the California Democratic convention when you said that. Only one candidate on this stage, senator sanders, identifies himself as a democratic socialist. What are the policies or positions of your opponent that you think are veering toward seeshlism . Wel socialism . Well, i think bhot to him line is we do not declare we are not socialists, the republicans will come to us every way we can and call us socialists. If you look at the green if you deal. I admire the sense of doing Climate Change, im a scientist. We cant promise every american a job, if you want universal healthcare coverage, i believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. You cant eliminate private insurance for 180 Million People many who dont want to give it up. In colorado, we got business and healthcare together. We had universal healthcare coverage. We were the first stage to bring you the Environmental Community to address aggressively address methane emissions. We were also the first place to expand reproductive rights on a scale basis and we reduced teen pregnancy by 54 . Weve done the big, progressive things that people said couldnt be done. Ive done what pretty much everyone else up here is still talking about doing. Governor, thank you. Senator sanders, ill give you a chance to weigh in here. What is your response to those who say nominating a socialist would reelect donald trump . Well, i think the responses at the poll, the last poll i saw had us ten points ahead of donald trump. Because the American People understand that trump is a phony, that trump is a pathological liar, and a racist, and that he lied to the American People during his campaign. He said he was going to stand up for working families. Well, President Trump, you are not standing up for working families when you try toy throw 32 Million People off the healthcare that they have and 83 of your packs benefits go to the top 1 . Thats how we beat trump. We expose him for the fraud that he is. Senator gillibrand. I disagree with both the perspectives. The debate we are having in our party right now confusing. Ba us the truth is there is a big difference between capitalism on the one hand and greed on the other. And so all the things that were trying to change is when Companies Care more about profits when they do about people so if you are talking about ending gun violence, its the greed of the nra and the gun manufacturers that make any progress impossible. Its the greed of the Insurance Companies and the Drug Companies, when we want to try to get healthcare as a right and fought a privilege. Thank you. There may not be disagreement in the party. We dont want corrupted capitalism. Thank you. I want to be fair to all the candidates. For bennett. You have said, quote, its possible to write policy proposals that have no basis in reality. You might as well call them candy. Were you referring to any candidate or proposal in particular when you said that . Was that directed to me . Yes. That sound like me. Thank you. It was you. I appreciate it. First of all, i a agree completely with bernie the fundamental am challenge we face as a country is 40 years of no Economic Growth for 90 of the American People. 160,000 families int top. 1 have the same wealth as the bottom 90 . Weve got the worst income and equality weve had in 100 years. Write disagree on his solution med compare for all. You know, i have proposed getting to universal healthcare, which we need to do. It is a right. Healthcare is a right. We need to get to universal healthcare. I believe the way to do that is by finishing the work we started with obamacare and creating a public option that every family and every person in america can make a choice for their family about whether they want a public option, which for them would be like having medicare for all or whether they want to keep their private insurance. I believe we will get there much more quickly if we do that. Bernie, if i could just finish, bern fimentioned that the taxes we would have to pay, because of those tacks, vermont rejected medicare for all. Senator, senator we are going to talk about healthcare at length, senator, but for the moment, my colleague has questions. I wrote the part in senator sanders bill that is the transition, which merges what the two senators said. The truth is if you have a buyin, over a four or fiveyear period you move us to single payer more quickly. Senator, we will get to this. We will get to this. Before we do, i want to say hello and good evening but ueno suspicion nachos to senator buttigieg. Many support state college. Do you not. Why not . So College Affordability is personal for us. We have six figure student debt. I believe in reducing student debt, its logical to me if you can refinance your house you should be able to refinance your student debt. I believe in free college for low and middle income students for whom costs could be a barrier. I just dont believe it makes sense to ask working class families to subsidize even the children of billionaires. I think the children of the wealthiest americans can pay at least a little of tuition. While i want tuition costs to go down, i dont think we can buy down every last penny for that. There is Something Else that doesnt get talked about in the college of affordability debate. Yes, it needs tore more affordable to go to college. And it need to be more affordable to not go to college. You should be able live well, afford rent, generous to your church and little leak. Whether you went to college or not, thats one of the reasons you need to raise the minimum wage to at least 15 an hour. I have a 100,000 Student Loan Debt for myself. If i cant count on the people around when this problem was created to be the ones to solve it. It will be if nethe next genera the 40 million of us who cant start a business and cant buy our first home. This is the generation that will be able to solve Student Loan Debt. This generation is ready to lead. Reporter mr. Yang, your signature policy is to give every adult in the United States 1,000 a month, no questions asked. Thats right. I think its like 3. 2 trillion a year. How would do you that . Sorry . How would do you that . Oh, so, its difficult to do if you have Companies Like amazon, trillion Dollar Tech Companies paying literally zero in taxes while theyre closing 30 pfrs of our stores. Now we need to put the American People to benefit from these parts of the economy and if we had a valueadded tax even half the european level it would generate over 800 million in new revenue, which combined in our hand, it would be the trickle up economy. We would spend the money and it would circulate through our neighborhoods creating millions of jobs, making our families stronger and healthier. Wed safe money on incarceration, homelessness services, emergency room, healthcare and the value gains from having a stronger, healthier mentally population would increase gdp by several hundred billion dollars. This is a move we have to make as technology is automating millions of jobs. President trump is president because we automated jobs in michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania and wisconsin. Were about to do the same thing to many retail jobs, fast food drobs, Truck Driving jobs throughout the economy. If i get to understand a little better, you are saying 1,000 a month for everyone over 18 but a valueadded tax so you can spend that there are 1,000 on valueadded tax . Well, the valueadded tax would end up, youd still be increasing the buying power of the bottom 94 of americans. You have to spend a lot of mo infor a value added tax per individual. For the average family with two or three adults, it would be 24 to 36,000 a year. Congressman swalwell, talk and what mr. Yang talked about. Many american versus self driving cars, robots, drones, artificial intelligence, lit cost them their jobs. What would you do to help people get the skills they need to adapt to this new world . We must always be a country where Technology Creates more jobs than it displaces. And ive seen the anxiety across america, where the manufacturing floors go from 1,000 to 200 to 1. So we have to modernize our schools, value the teachers who prepare our kid. Wipe the student debt from any teacher that goes into a community that need it. Invest in americas communities, especially where places where the best exports are people that move away to get skills. But, jose, i was sixyearsold when a president ial candidate came to the California Democratic convention and said, its time to pass the torch to a new generation of americans. That candidate was then senator joe biden. Joe biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of americans that years ago. Hes still right today. If were going to solve the issues of the nation, pas the torch. If were going to solve the issue of climate chaos, pass the torch. If we are going to solve school violence, pas the torch. Vice president , would you like to sing a torch song . I would. Im Still Holding on to that torch. I want to make it clear to you. Look, the fact of the matter is what we have to do is make sure everybody is prepared better to go on educate for an education. The fact is thats why i proposed us focusing on schools that are in distress. Thats why i think we should triple the amount of money we spend for title 1 schools. Thats why i think we should have universal prek. Thats why i think every Single Person who graduates from high school, 65 out of 100 now need something beyond high school and we should provide for them to be able to get that education. Thats why there should be Free Community college, cutting in half the cost of college. Thats why we should be in a position where we do not have anyone pay back student debt when they get out, theyre making less than 25,000 a year. Their debt is frozen. Nopayment until they get beyond that. We cant put people in a position where they arent able to go on and move on. So, folks, there is a lot we can do. But we have to make continuing education available for everyone so that everyone can compete in the 21st century. Were not doing that now. Senator sanders. The youngest guy on the stage, i feel i probably need to speak for my generation. A part of joes generation. A port of joes generation, let me respond. Before we move on before we move on from education. Please, please. For sanders. The issue is who has the guts to take on wall street . To take on the fossil fuel industry . To take on the big money inthos have unbelievable influence over the economic and political life of this country. These issues for harris, for harris. We will let all of you speak. Senior harris. We will let you all speak. Senator harris. Hey, guys, you know what, america does not want to witness a food fight. They want to know how we will put food on their table [ applause. [ applause ] so, on that point, part of the issue that is at play in America Today and weve all been traveling around the country. I certainly have. Im meeting people who are working two and three jobs. You know this president walks around talking about and throughouting his great economy. Right. My great economy. My great economy. Yeah, how are you measuring this greatness of this economy of yours . And he talks about the stockmarket. Well, thats fine if you own stocks. So many families in america do not. You ask him how are you measuring the greatness of this economy of yours . They point to the jobless numbers the and unemployment 234bs. Yeah, people are working, theyre working two and three jobs. When we talk jobs, lets be really clear, in our america, no one should have to work more than one job to have a roof over their head and food on the table. Thank you very much. You have all expressed an interest in talking about healthcare. So lets talk about healthcare. And this is going to be a show of hands question. We asked a question about healthcare last night that spurred a lot of discussion as you know. We will do it again now. Many watching at home have Health Insurance at their employer. Who h