Former presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Ted Cruz debated the future of the Affordable Care Act Tuesday.
At the University of Memphis, less than a dozen students showed up to the College Republicans and College Democrat debate watch party hosted at the University Center, a stark contrast from the past presidential debates that packed UC conference rooms with nearly 100 students.
Nonetheless, members of both college political sects said the future of healthcare was important enough to host the watch party.
True Merritt, 21, criminal justice and political science senior from Chicago and vice president of the U of M College Democrats said she agreed with Sanders when he said we need a system that works with the rest of the world.
“I think that most people agree that it needs to be fixed, but entirely doing away with it also won’t be good,” Merritt said. “We need a revision that allows for pre-existing conditions to be covered, so you won’t be dropped from your insurance if you develop a condition. I think that would bring people together.”
Miller Coleman, 18, the president of the U of M College Republicans, said that while Obamacare was made with “good intentions,” it hurts more than it helps.
“The Affordable Care Act looks good on paper, but it doesn’t work well in real life,” Coleman, a political science freshman from Union City, Tennessee, said. “As a party, ever since the ACA was thought of, we’ve always supported the repeal of it. As long as the president supports the repeal of Obamacare and doesn’t support government mandated health care, we will support him.”
One of President Trump’s big campaign promises was that “everyone” will be insured, Medicaid or Medicare will not change and he will repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with something better in a short amount of time. After taking the Oath of Office, President Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the current health care system.
Trump’s promises could lead to a disagreement between Republicans – even those potentially in Trump’s cabinet.
The details of Trump’s plan will not be revealed until his health secretary nominee, Tom Price, is confirmed. Price, a Georgia Republican congressman, is a firm critic against the Affordable Care Act, and he has introduced legislation to let people out of Medicare and Medicaid in favor of private plans.
Josh Albert watches Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz debate the future of the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday. Albert was one of a few students that showed up to the College Republicans and College Democrat debate watch party in the UC fountain view room.
