Walz Faces Backlash After Defending Obama-Era Mandate Repealed by Trump
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faced backlash on social media after he defended the individual healthcare mandate during a vice presidential debate on Tuesday night. The mandate was repealed during the Trump administration, and many criticized Walz for supporting its reinstatement.
During the debate, Walz stated, “I think the idea of making sure the risk pool is broad enough to cover everyone — that’s the only way insurance works. When it doesn’t, it collapses. You are asking pre-ACA where we get people out. Look, people know that they need to be on health care. People expect it to be there.” He also mentioned that the Affordable Care Act “works” but can “continue to do better.”
The criticism on social media highlighted that the individual mandate was a “massive tax penalty” for Americans who could not afford government-ordered health plans. Republican Senator Tom Cotton posted, “Tim Walz just endorsed reinstating the Obamacare mandate which was a massive tax penalty for Americans who can’t afford to buy insurance.”
