Julián Castro to Joe Biden: 'I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you're not'


Julián Castro went straight for the jugular during Thursday night's Democratic debate, telling former Vice President Joe Biden that when it comes to health care, "I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama, and you're not."
Castro told Biden that his health care plan would leave 10 million people without coverage, while he wants "every single American family to have a strong Medicare plan available. If they choose to hold on to strong, solid private health insurance I believe they should be able to do that, but the difference between what I support and what you support, Vice President Biden, is that you require them to opt-in, and I would not require them to opt-in." He added, "Barack Obama's vision was not to leave 10 million people uncovered. He wanted every single person in this country covered. My plan would do that, your plan would not."
Biden interjected, saying people would not have to buy-in under his plan. "Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?" Castro shot back, a line that earned "oooohs" from the audience. "If you lose your job, for instance, his health care plan would not automatically enroll you, you would have to opt in," Castro continued. "That's the big difference — I'm fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama and you're not." In response, Biden muttered, "That'll be a surprise to him." Cue more "oooohs."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It appears as though it's actually Castro who forgot what happened two minutes ago, several Twitter fact-checkers said. Julie Rover, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News, tweeted that Biden's plan would actually "auto-enroll everyone under 138 percent of poverty — the population currently eligible for the Medicaid expansion in states that have adopted it."
The Daily Beast's Sam Stein also backed Biden's version of events, saying that he "re-watched the segments where Biden talked health care and it seems pretty clear to me that Castro is, well, wrong. He never said opt-in. He said that if people lose their jobs they can automatically buy into Medicare." Stein later tweeted a follow-up, revealing that "In fact, Biden at one point said the opposite: 'Anyone who can't afford it gets automatically enrolled in the Medicare-type option we have.'"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why are American conservatives clashing with Pope Leo?
Talking Points Comments on immigration and abortion draw backlash
-
9 haunted hotels where things definitely go bump in the night
The Week Recommends Don’t fear these spirited spots. Embrace them.
-
Saudi comedy fest exposes free speech schism in stand-up
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The decision by some of stand-up’s biggest names to attend a festival in a nation infamous for its censorship has the comedy world picking sides and settling old scores
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland