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WEBVTT INTERVIEW WITH THE SENATOR. CYNTHIA: YOU MENTIONED HEALTHCARE, AND YOU BELIEVE IT’S A RIGHT FOR ALL AMERICANS AND SUPPORT MEDICARE FOR ALL? CAN YOU CLARIFY YOUR POSITION ON PRIVATE INSURANCE? >> I BELIEVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SHOULD BE A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEG CERTAINLY NOT A PRIVILEGE ONLY FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT AND NOT EVERYBODY ELSE. I DON’T THINK THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF OUR VALUES. IN TERMS OF MEDICARE FOR ALL, PART OF THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS EVERYONE WILL HAVE HEALTH CARE AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE. PRIVATE INSURAENC COMPANIES WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF SUPPLMENTAL BENEFITS, BUT WE NEED A SYSTEM WHERE EVERYONEAN C HAVE A SYSTEM THAT FIGHTS FOR THEM. CYNTA:HI THE GREEN NEW DEAL, YOU SUPPORTED THAT. NOW THAT THE DETAILS ARE FALLING OUT AND PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT, DO YOU STILL BELIEVE ITS REALISTIC TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHAN?GE >> IT’S A RESOLUTION AND I SUPPORT THE GOALS. I SUPPORT THE NOTIONND A THINK WE ALL HAVE TO UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE IS PRESENTING A THREAT TO WHO WE E.AR IT I HAPPENING, IT IS IMMINENT THE DANGER IT IS PRESENTING TO US AS HUMAN BEINGS. CYNTHIA: THE QUESTION EVERYONE IS ASKING IS HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT? AND MEDICARE FOR ALL? >> WE PAY FOR IT BY INVESTING IN THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTR IY, BELIEVE INVESTING IN FMILIES PAYS FOR ITSF.EL PUTTING MONEY INTO A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SO THAT PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO GET HEALTH CARE IN AN EREMGENCY ROOM IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT PAYS FOR ITSELF. CYNTA:HI YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE PERSON WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? >> THE PERSON O WHHAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON MY LIFE WAS MY MOTHER. SHE TAUGHT ME KAMALA YOU WERE THE FIRST TO DO MANY THINGS BUT MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT THE LAST, PARTF O THAT WAS ABOUT REMEMBERING WHATEVER WE ACHIEVED, WE NEED TO BRING PEOPLE WITH US. CYNTHIA: THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT, WANTING TO LIFT UP? >> IT IS ABOUT LIFTING UP EVERYONE. WHEN WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE IN EDNE, THOSE WHO ARE WORKING HAR AND NEED THEIR VOICES HE

Advertisement Cynthia Fodor sits down one-on-one with Sen. Kamala Harris Share Shares Copy Link Copy

California Sen. Kamala Harris held events throughout Iowa on Saturday, including a meeting with the Asian and Latino Coalition at the Statehouse and a town hall meeting in Ankeny.KCCI chief political reporter Cynthia Fodor sat down with the Democratic senator, who launched her White House bid in January. Harris is a former California attorney general and was elected to the Senate in 2016.HEALTH CAREFodor: You believe health care is a right for all Americans and support "Medicare for all." Can you clarify your position on private insurance?Harris: Sure. So first of all, I believe that health care and access to health care should be a right, not a privilege – and certainly not a privilege only for those who can afford it and not for everybody else. I don't think that's reflective of our values. In terms of "Medicare for all," part of the benefit of that is that everybody will then have health care and access to affordable health care. Private health insurance companies will still be available in terms of supplemental benefits, but we do need to have a system where everybody can have a system that fights for them.Fodor: The question everybody's been asking is, "How do we pay for it, as well as 'Medicare for all?'"Harris: Well, look. How do we pay for "Medicare for all?" We pay for it by investing in the people of our country. I believe that investing in our American families pays for itself. I believe that putting money into a health care system so that people don't have to get their health care in an emergency room is the right thing to do, and it pays for itself.We got to repeal a tax bill that gave financial benefit to the biggest corporations to the top 1 percent in our country. We got to repeal that to pay for an investment in our families. GREEN NEW DEALFodor: The Green New Deal, you supported that. Now that the details are falling out there and people are talking about it as a pipe dream, do you still (think) it's still realistic and something that can combat climate change?Harris: It's a resolution, and I support the goals. I support the notion, and I think, in fact, we all have to understand climate change is presenting an existential threat to who we are. It is happening. It is imminent in terms of the danger it presents to us as human beings, and we can do something about it. INSPIRATIONFodor: You were talking about the one person who has had the biggest impact on your life.Harris: The greatest person who has had the greatest impact on my life is my mother. She taught me, "Kamala, you may be the first to do many things. Make sure you're not the last," and part of that was remembering that whatever we achieve, we need to bring people with us.Fodor: And that's what you're about now, want to lift up?Harris: It is about lifting up everyone, that we all – listen, when we take care of those in need, when we take care of those that are working hard and deserve to be seen and heard, it's in the best interest of all of society.You can hear the full interview with Harris on March 3 on KCCI Close Up.