Emhoff: Biden and Harris believe health care is a 'right' and they will 'build on' Obamacare

Emhoff, husband of Sen. Harris, argues that the Trump Administration would not distribute a COVID-19 vaccine 'fairly'

Published: October 13, 2020 6:14pm

Updated: October 14, 2020 9:42am

Doug Emhoff, husband of Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, said that Joe Biden and Harris "believe that health care is a right" and that they will "build on" Obamacare if elected.

He also argued that the Trump Administration would not distribute a COVID-19 vaccine "fairly."

"There will be free testing with fast results, unlike what we have now. If you're sick, treatment will be free. Contact tracing, which they're just not doing enough of, and also, if there's a vaccine, it's going to be backed by science, not what Trump says," Emhoff said during a campaign stop in Alexandria, Va. on Tuesday.

"And we can't trust them to distribute a vaccine fairly, can we? No. A Biden-Harris administration is going to make sure that a vaccine is not only safe but will be distributed freely but also fairly and you know we're not going to have that now," he added.

Harris was asked during the presidential debate if she would take a vaccine that's approved for use by the Trump administration.

“If Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I’ll be the first in line to take it. Absolutely,” Harris said. “But if Donald Trump tells us to take it, I’m not taking it.”

In response, Vice President Mike Pence said Harris was undermining public confidence in a vaccine.

"Stop playing politics with people's lives," he said. "Your continuous undermining of confidence in a vaccine is unacceptable."

During the campaign stop, Emhoff said Biden-Harris will expand Obamacare because they "believe that health care is a right."

"Health care is not a privilege for the very few so they're going to do everything they can to save the Affordable Care Act and build on it," he said.

Just the News tried to ask Emhoff a follow-up question after his speech at the event but he did not respond.

Harris co-sponsored the Medicare for all legislation in the Senate with Sen. Bernie Sanders. Biden opposes a Medicare for all plan but supports adding a federally-run public option to Obamacare.