Arguing that the current health care system is failing at a time of great importance, MSNBC Live guest host Yasmin Vossoughian tried to use the worsening coronavirus pandemic to push likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden further to the left on the issue and get him to support a single payer system.
Most of the interview pursued the theme of Trump being slow to respond and not doing enough, but towards the end Vossoughian got to the policy question, "I do have one final question for you because as you’ve been seeing, our health care system seems to be crumbling underneath this crisis. There is not enough. There is not support for the health care system, not enough support for the American people inside of the healthcare system. Are you now reconsidering your position when it comes to single payer health care?"
The question came as countries around the world, regardless of the type of health care system, struggle with surging case numbers. Biden, for his part, said no and offered generic ideas such as more funding for hospitals and vaccine development. However, he misled when trying to show how he would do things differently than Trump:
But for example, we had people when our administration, we had CDC people in other countries because we wanted to anticipate when in fact another virus would occur, when in fact a pandemic might occur as a consequence of a spreading virus in another country, to act quickly. The president withdrew those people. I insists -- I didn't insist-- I suggested we should have people in China at the outset of this event, when it all started, in Wuhan province. And what happened? We did not insist that they go into the areas.
The CDC's original offers to go to China in the early stages of the virus were rebuffed by the Chinese government and as for the withdrawn people, one expert told Reuters, "In the end, based on circumstances in China, it probably wouldn’t have made a big difference" given the Chinese government's cover-up.
Instead of correcting the record, Vossoughian spread more Democratic talking points, "If you become the nominee and then you do win the general election—al of ifs there—how quickly in that manner can you reassemble the pandemic team that the president got rid of?" Trump did not get rid of the pandemic team. We know this because people, who not that long ago were unassailable impeachment witnesses, have written op-eds saying they were part of the team.
Here is a transcript for the March 30 show:
MSNBC
MSNBC Live with Katy Tur
2:29 PM ET
YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN: I do have one final question for you because as you’ve been seeing, our health care system seems to be crumbling underneath this crisis. There is not enough. There is not support for the healthcare system, not enough support for the American people inside of the healthcare system. Are you now reconsidering your position when it comes to single payer health care?
JOE BIDEN: Single payer will not solve that at all. The thing that is needed, for example, we have a whole number of hospitals that are being so stretched including rural hospitals they are going to need more financing. That doesn't come from a single payer system. That comes were the federal government stepping up and dealing with the concerns that they have, the reimbursement they are going to get, how they are going to be able to move forward and how her going to be able to provide all the needed help needed in their communities. This is an opportunity to look at reconstructing the health care system in a way that in fact can respond more rapidly and more effectively to these kinds of crises because it is going to come again. We should be spending -- we are spending a great deal of time and effort finding a vaccine, finding a way that we can deal with preventing these diseases further down the road. But for example, we had people when our administration, we had CDC people in other countries because we wanted to anticipate when in fact another virus would occur, when in fact a pandemic might occur as a consequence of a spreading virus in another country, to act quickly. The president withdrew those people. I insists -- I didn't insist-- I suggested we should have people in China at the outset of this event, when it all started, in Wuhan province. And what happened? We did not insist that they go into the areas. I just -- that's all I can do is do what I know has to be done. Say what I know has to be done.
VOSSOUGHIAN: If you become the nominee and then you do win the general election—al of ifs there—how quickly in that manner can you reassemble the pandemic team that the president got rid of?
BIDEN: Very quickly. Very quickly. It can be done very quickly. That's what my team is talking about right now, how will we do that if we win in and what will we do? Exactly on day one, how will it start.
