Gillibrand presses ‘Medicare-for-all’ pitch
Health care was also the focus of Gillibrand's constituents who showed up to the event at
"They will bring it up again," she said of Republican efforts to pare back the Affordable Care Act. "I promise you they will bring it up again and again and again. ... If they can find a way to buy off the votes they need to pass it, they will."
But Gillibrand repeatedly steered her health care message back to the Medicare-for-all idea -- a proposal favored by progressive
"You need to have that not-for-profit goal," she said. "Your goal is to help people not profit."
She conceded that insurance plans under some of the current regional health care exchanges were "still too expensive" for families and small businesses, and suggested
Constituents -- none of who directly challenged Gillibrand in their questions -- also asked about climate change, pension security and what kind of message
Some raised concerns over recent reports about
"I'm concerned that saber-rattling is not the right approach right now," she said. "We need political and diplomatic solutions on the table and we need to work harder to bring the temperature down."
While Gillibrand didn't lean heavily on attacks against Trump -- at one point she highlighted a bill of hers he signed -- she didn't shy away from calling out policies she argued were damaging to
One questioner listed federal agencies she said she worried were seriously threatened under Trump -- the
"I'm very concerned about whether the institutions will hold," she said.
Gillibrand said she also was concerned about Trump's attacks on the judiciary, free press and religious minorities. But she also said she felt America's core institutions were strong enough to outlast the Trump presidency.
"I do believe our institutions are strong enough and will prevail," Gillibrand said.
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