Bernie Sanders pushed vehemently back against Ted Cruz’s response to whether healthcare is a right for all Americans.
Cruz said during a CNN town hall debate that every American has the right to “access to healthcare” and choosing their own doctor.
“Access doesn’t mean a damn thing,” said Sanders, the Vermont senator who challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination. “What it means is if people can afford it.”
Sanders added that everyone has access to buying one of President Trump’s mansions. “You can do that as well,” he said.
Cruz, the senator from Texas that challenged Trump for the GOP nomination, said that you “have the right for government not to mess with you.”
Earlier in the debate, both challengers sparred over the economic impact of Obamacare’s employer mandate, which forces any employer with 50 or more people to provide insurance to employers.
Audience member Laronda shared her story of trouble providing health insurance to employees in her hair salon in Fort Worth, Texas.
Sanders responded that he didn’t know much about the hair salon business.
“One of the problems that we have is that maybe someone else who is providing decent health insurance and they are in an unfair competitive situation,” he said. “You can compete and charge lower prices, while they on the other hand are providing health insurance.”
Cruz pounced on the comments, saying that Sanders is mimicking the rhetoric from Democrats.
“You as a small business are apparently a bad actor,” Cruz said.
