--- title: Democratic Debate: Sanders and Clinton Spar on Health Care description: Bernie Sanders forced Hillary Clinton into a full-throated defense of the Affordable Care Act during the fourth Democratic debate. canonical: https://time.com/4183990/democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-obamacare/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-18T03:06:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:28.179Z article:section: Politics og:title: Sanders Forces Clinton Into Strong Defense of Obamacare og:description: "I don't want to see us start over again with a contentious debate," Clinton said og:url: https://time.com/4183990/democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-obamacare/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta89b84539114c11e/69887980cf40a87fb1c4184c/democratic-debate-clinton-sanders.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, right, speaks, as Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton listens, at the NBC, YouTube Democratic presidential debate at the Gaillard Center, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, in Charleston, S og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sanders Forces Clinton Into Strong Defense of Obamacare twitter:description: "I don't want to see us start over again with a contentious debate," Clinton said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta89b84539114c11e/69887980cf40a87fb1c4184c/democratic-debate-clinton-sanders.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sanders Forces Clinton Into Strong Defense of Obamacare > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=bdf59ba1-ba0b-489a-9c8b-1c661b347124&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Democratic Debate: Clinton and Sanders Spar Over Universal Healthcare [Watch (HLS stream): Democratic Debate: Clinton and Sanders Spar Over Universal Healthcare](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JQZshisl.m3u8) (3:25)  _Published 2016-01-18. Clinton and Sanders Spar Over Universal Healthcare_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 18, 2016 3:06 AM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 18, 2016 3:06 AM UTC [Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/4183979/democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-criminal-justice-wall-street/) forced Hillary Clinton into a full-throated defense of the Affordable Care Act during the [Democratic debate](http://time.com/4181009/democratic-debate-watch-live-stream-free-online/) Sunday night, as they [sparred on health care and Democratic ideals](http://time.com/4183625/democratic-debate-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/). Clinton was asked about Sanders’ “Medicare for all” health care proposal. She responded by saying she thinks it’s a smarter tactic to stick with the Affordable Care Act. “Here’s what I believe,” the former Secretary of State said. “The Democratic Party in the United States worked since Harry Truman to get the Affordable Care Act passed. We finally have a path to universal health care. We’ve accomplished so much already, I do not want to see the Republicans repeal it, and I don’t want to see us start over again with a contentious debate. I want us to defend and build on the Affordable Care Act and improve it.” Sanders also used Truman and the history of liberal values in the country in his response. “What a Medicare-for-all program does is finally provide in this country health care for every man woman and child as a right,” the Vermont Senator said. “Now, the truth is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman … they believed that health care should be available to all of our people. I’m on the committee that wrote the Affordable Care Act … I voted for it. But right now what we have to deal with is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insurance. We are paying the highest price in the world for prescription drugs, getting ripped off. And here’s the important point: we are spending far more per person on health care than the people of any other country.” But Clinton didn’t give any ground on her view that the Affordable Care Act itself is the best realization of liberalism, rather than Sanders’ more radical idea. “We have the Affordable Care Act,” she said. “That is one of the greatest accomplishments of President Obama, of the Democratic Party and of our country.” ## Transcript Secretary Clinton, is it really fair to say that Bernie Sanders wants to kill Obamacare? Andrea, I am absolutely committed universal healthcare. I've worked on this for a long time and I certainly respect Senator Sanders' intentions. But when you are talking about health care, the details really matter. And therefore, we have been raising questions about the 9 bills that he introduced over 20 years as to how they would work and what would be the impact on people's health care. He didn't like that. His campaign didn't like it either. And tonight he's come out with a new healthcare plan and again we need to get into the details. But here's what I believe, the Democratic party and the United States worked since Harry Truman to get the Affordable Care Act passed. We finally have a path. To universal healthcare. We've accomplished so much already. I do not want to see the Republicans repeal it, and I don't want to see us start over again with a contentious debate. I want us to defend and build on the affordable care act and improve it. What a Medicare for all program does Is finally provide in this country healthcare for every man, woman and child as a right. Now, the truth is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman you know what they believed in? They believed that healthcare should be available to all of our people. I'm on the committee that wrote the Affordable Care Act. I made the Affordable Care Act, along with JIm Cleburne, a better piece of legislation. I voted for it. But right now, what we have to deal with, is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insurance. We are paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. getting ripped off. And here's the important point. We are spending far more per person on health care than the people of any other country. My proposal. Provide health care to all people. Get private insurance out of health insurance. Lower the cost of health care for middle class families by 5000 bucks. That's the vision we need to take. [ APPLAUSE ] The fact is [ APPLAUSE ] We have the affordable care act, that is one of the greatest accomplishments of President Obama of the democratic party and of our country and we have all ready seeing 19 million Americans get insurance. We have seen the end of pre- existing conditions that's keeping people from getting insurance. We have seen women no longer paying more for our insurance than men. And we have seen young people up to the age of 26 being able to stay on their parent's policy. I'm out, there are things we can do to improve it But to tear it up and start over again pushing our country back into that kind of a contentious debate I think is the wrong direction. Now tell me why we are spending almost three times more than the British who guarantee healthcare to all of their people. Fifty percent more than the French, more than the Canadians. The vision from FDR and Harry Truman was healthcare for all people as a right in a cost- effective way. We're not gonna tear up the Affordable Care Act, I helped write it, but we are going to move on top of that to a Medicare for all system. 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