by Grace Carr
Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar tried to stand apart at a CNN town hall Monday evening in Manchester, New Hampshire, emphasizing differences between herself and the slew of Democratic candidates running for president.
Klobuchar repeated, “When I’m president,” angling herself as a candidate who can defeat President Donald Trump because she runs in a purple state and can win back the hearts and trust of the midwest. “I didn’t do that by selling out on my principles,” Klobuchar said, citing her three-time reelection.
“It is appalling some of the things that were going on,” Klobuchar said, dodging a definitive answer about whether she supports impeachment of the president after the Mueller report dropped Thursday. “We need to have hearings in both the House and the Senate … The impeachment proceedings are up to the House,” Klobuchar added.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is non-committal on impeaching President Trump: “I’m not going to predispose things” #KlobucharTownHall https://t.co/UQwyP6fkHS pic.twitter.com/G66yFWmM24
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 22, 2019
Democrats are divided over whether to push for Trump’s impeachment. Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been a strong proponent of the move. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, cautions Democrats against such efforts.
Klobuchar addressed her position on health care. “I have to be straight with you and tell you the truth,” she said, explaining why she is against both free college and student loan forgiveness. Klobuchar proposed students be allowed to refinance their student loans in order to lower interest rate payments. The senator pointed to an expansion of Federal Pell Grants and advocated for free community college, a policy enacted by former President Barack Obama.
Klobuchar addressed the country’s looming healthcare problem, advocating for reduced health care premiums and lower pharmaceutical costs. She advocated for competition and the elimination of middlemen in order to have an effective public health care option. Klobuchar is not co-sponsoring Medicaid For All.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is up first. Here's why she is running to be president #KlobucharTownHall https://t.co/uLlzb97xZr pic.twitter.com/tOUoHEcNAo
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 22, 2019
Klobuchar vowed to attack climate change and applauded the Green New Deal for presenting goals to the public. She has previously called the plan “aspirational,” according to the Hill. She also addressed criminal justice reform and the importance of passing the Equal Pay Act, policies she has espoused in campaign pledges.
Klobuchar officially launched her campaign for the White House in February. The senator has consistently lagged behind other candidates. She has also suffered accusations of mistreating her staff. The allegations include reportedly hitting a staffer with a binder.
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg are also slated to speak at town halls Monday evening following Klobuchar’s town hall.
How will today’s Democratic candidates appeal to young voters? Hear from Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg in back-to-back CNN town halls. Live tonight starting at 7p ET pic.twitter.com/Fn5ptneOae
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 22, 2019
Fox News will host Klobuchar at a town hall on May 8 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Grace Carr is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Grace on Twitter.
Photo “Amy Klobuchar” by CNN.
