Senator Kamala Harris journeyed to San Francisco Saturday night to address a crowd at the Warfield Theater, and she wasn't afraid to mince words about the Trump administration's revived health care efforts.
Among other discussion topics, California's first-year senator decried the Republicans' effort to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
"They believe health care is a privilege, not a right," Harris said. "So you might as well say, well people don't starve because they don't have food. What the f--- is that?"
During other parts of the conversation, Harris called for the reduction of prescription drug costs and establishment of Medicare for all. She also complained about the thought of 24 million Americans potentially losing health coverage if the GOP's bill ends up passing.
"Those are human lives," she said. "Those are real people."
The new health care plan, which skirted through the House of Representatives by a 217-213 vote, vows to lower insurance cost for Americans and get rid of the requirement of maintain a personal health insurance plan. The bill would also change the way patients with pre-existing conditions obtain health coverage, and it would halt Medicaid expansion, among other changes.
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After Harris addressed those in the audience who paid $40 for a ticket, some came away with a receptive view of the senator's points.
"I think she was charismatic," Oliver Paprin said. "When she spoke, it was clear everyone was listening. It wasn't just banter."
Harris also took time to address a proposed single-payer system which could grant health care to all people in the Golden State.
"I like the concept," she said. "We have to work out the details. We do need to get to a place where it is not a function of your income that you have access to health care."
On the other hand, attendee Eric Coffin-Gould wasn't entirely sold on that proposal.
"There was sort of a question there of how do you make incremental progress that there didn't seem to be a clear answer to," he said.
