Biden’s Factual Distortions
Former Vice President Joe Biden distorted the facts in two interviews in the wake of the Nevada caucuses:
- He claimed that one of his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders, “was opposed to Obamacare.” Sanders voted in favor of the bill in 2009, saying it was “not as strong as I wanted” but “begins to move this country toward the long-time goal of providing comprehensive, affordable health care for all Americans.”
- In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Biden falsely claimed that he had never labeled South Carolina as his campaign’s “firewall,” in case he didn’t perform well in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. Biden has used that metaphor more than once.
Sanders Voted for the ACA
Biden’s campaign points to Sanders expressing opposition to the Affordable Care Act before the Senate ultimately passed the legislation. It’s true Sanders as late as a week before the that he was “not voting for the bill” but that he would “do my best to make this bill a better bill” that he could support. was added for billions in funding for community health centers, Sanders’ vote was a yes.
