Sanders Plans To Participate In Next Debate After Heart Procedure
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) "is up and about" in a Nevada hospital, according to a statement by his wife, Jane Sanders. He expects to be released by the end of the weekend and be back on the campaign trail before the upcoming Oct. 15 debate. This health scare raises questions of how age will play into the 2020 presidential election with four candidates over the age of 70. Meanwhile, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is pushing his plan to fight child poverty.
Bernie Sanders remained hospitalized in Nevada on Thursday because of a blocked artery in his heart but will participate in the next Democratic presidential debate, according to his campaign. ... Sanders鈥 wife, Jane O鈥橫eara Sanders, said in a statement released by the campaign Thursday that her husband was expected to be discharged and fly back to Vermont before the end of the weekend. 鈥淏ernie is up and about. Yesterday, he spent much of the day talking with staff about policies, cracking jokes with the nurses and doctors, and speaking with his family on the phone. His doctors are pleased with his progress, and there has been no need for any additional procedures,鈥 she said. (Price, 10/3)
Mr. Sanders鈥檚 campaign has declined to say whether he had suffered a heart attack, and his wife鈥檚 statement did not address that. On Wednesday, Mr. Sanders鈥檚 campaign said he experienced 鈥渟ome chest discomfort鈥 during an event on Tuesday evening; a medical evaluation found blockage in one artery, and two stents were inserted. He has canceled a two-day college tour this week in California, and his aides have not said when he would return to the campaign trail. (Ember, 10/3)
The fraught debate over whether someone is too old to manage the rigors of the presidency has largely been overlooked during a Democratic primary that has put more emphasis on issues such as health care, immigration and gun control. That changed this week. The hospitalization of 78-year-old Bernie Sanders to treat a blocked artery in his heart ensures that the question of how old is too old to be president moves to the forefront of the Democratic contest. (Barrow, 10/4)
鈥淏uilding on the same American spirit that gave us Social Security, Medicare, nutrition assistance and so much more, we must come together to ensure that every child has a fair shot to participate in and benefit from our collective promise,鈥 Mr. Booker said in a statement. 鈥淚 know that we can do this, and as president, I will act.鈥 A central tenet of Mr. Booker鈥檚 plan is to provide a $300 monthly cash allowance to families for each child under 5 years old through a vast expansion of the child tax credit. The proposal would also eliminate a loophole that leaves out the poorest American families, whose tax credit under the current system is limited to 15 percent of their earned income over $2,500. (Corasaniti, 10/3)
