Politics

Andrew Gillum Dodges Question Over Single-Payer Health Care

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Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum evaded and refused to answer a question from his GOP opponent, Ron DeSantis, about whether or not the Tallahassee mayor would sign a single-payer health care bill.

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“Look, Andrew wants to take away employer-provided coverage,” DeSantis said. “He thinks it should be illegal.”

“You support Medicare for all,” the former congressman pressed after Gillum denied the charge. “Read the bill. That’s what it does.”

“Define Medicare for all,” Gillum said.

“You ran commercials saying you supported single-payer. You said you would do a single-payer confederacy with New York and California. Man, our taxes will go up and then we’ll send all the money to California? That’s not a good health care plan for Floridians, so I want to protect people’s current arrangements. Government should not force you off your plans.”

“And neither would I,” Gillum responded before accusing DeSantis of being deluded into “his own definition” of heath care. (RELATED: Chris Cuomo To Florida’s Andrew Gillum On Health-Care Plan: ‘You Don’t Know Exactly How To Pay For It Yet)

“So, you don’t support Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for all?” DeSantis pressed.

“What I support is expanding Medicaid for over 800,000 Floridians who deserve to have access to their own doctor,” responded Gillum.

Over Gillum’s statements, DeSantis continued to press the Tallahassee mayor over whether he would sign or veto a single-payer bill.

“If the single-payer came to your desk as governor, would you sign it or veto? Would you sign it? Would you sign the bill for single-payer health care … You wouldn’t sign it?”

Not wanting to directly answer the question, Gillum evaded by accusing DeSantis of engaging in “fun and games.”

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