WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Democrat James Thompson criticized Republican Ron Estes over the GOP proposal to repeal and replacing President Barack Obama’s signature health law during their first face-to-face encounter in the race to fill the House seat vacated by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.
Their contentious, interruption-filled forum in the heavily Republican district played out against the backdrop of Republican efforts in Washington, D.C., to repeal the nation’s health care law and replace it with a proposal that a nonpartisan analysis group for Congress estimated would lead to 24 million people losing their insurance over a decade.
Thompson, a civil rights attorney, drew applause at the Wichita Crime Commission luncheon, when he declared that health care should “affordable and accessible for everybody in our country.” The country needs to work out the problems in the health care system and not just get a “political victory.”
Republicans are trying to push through their plan without talking about it - which is the same mistake Democrats made seven years ago, Thompson said.
Estes, the Republican state treasurer, said he supports the repeal and replacement of Obama’s health law but did not specify whether that extends to the proposed GOP plan. He talked about the years before the Affordable Care Act passed, a time he contends when most folks liked their relatively reasonable cost health insurance and when there were “some folks who chose not to get health insurance.”
That statement drew laughter and incredulous gasps from several audience members who chanted: “Chose? Chose? Chose?”
“If we knock 24 million people off of insurance who can’t afford it, people are going to die,” Thompson said, a reference to the congressional analysis. “To me, it is immoral that we would do that.”
In response to a written audience question about defunding Planned Parenthood, Estes cited what he called the “disgusting” videos he says show the group was selling baby parts. He said he would defund Planned Parenthood and argued that county health departments and other social services could make sure people get health care.
Thompson countered that a person running for office should not stand up and “continue to recite fake news,” drawing more applause. Planned Parenthood has done a lot of good, he retorted.
“The Constitution should not allow us, it does not allow us to interfere with a woman’s health care decisions. Period,” Thompson said. “Government has no role in it, and we need to make sure safe health care procedures are available to women.”
Political newcomer Thompson tried to tie the state treasurer to Gov. Sam Brownback, who turned Kansas into a lab for conservative fiscal ideas. The income tax cuts championed by Brownback left the state struggling to pay its bills and to fund education, roads and other government services. The state is facing projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.
Thompson also questioned whether Estes would “stand up” to President Donald Trump.
But Estes argued that the treasurer’s office and the governor’s office have different roles, and he touted his advocacy work for the state’s pension system. He said the congressional race should be focusing on national issues.
Kansas holds the nation’s first congressional election since President Donald Trump’s election. The special election is April 11.
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