At the first 2020 Democratic primary debate Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington state, indicated that he was the “only” candidate on stage “who has passed a law protecting a woman’s right of reproductive health and health insurance.” This was met with much disdain from Amy Klobuchar, the senior Senator from Minnesota, who replied, “I just want to say, there’s three women up here that have fought pretty hard for a woman’s right to choose.” It was a humbling moment for the 2020 candidate and Governor of Washington, whose platform relies heavily on climate change. On “Salon Talks,” Inslee responded to the exchange.
“She misconstrued what I said. I said that I was singular in having passed the Reproductive Parity Act, and that was a truthful statement,” he told Salon’s Matthew Rozsa. Inslee continued, “It’s very important that women not only have the sorta abstract access to choice but actually have insurance coverage for it. And what I said is accurate, that I am the governor who’s been able to pass the Reproductive Parity Act, because reproductive healthcare is fundamentally healthcare.”
In fact, Inslee went further, challenging Sen. Klobuchar’s voting record on abortion rights. “There are a lot of people on that stage who have been super-champions for right of choice. Senator Klobuchar is not one of them. She actually has taken some votes that, frankly, are not adequate to protecting a woman’s right of choice.”
Watch the video above and watch Inslee explain how he interpreted the exchange with Sen. Klobuchar at the first Democratic primary debate. And watch the full episode to learn about his in-depth climate plan
https://www.salon.com/tv/e/848988/c/3948