Here’s What to Watch for in Tonight’s OK-05 GOP Debate

With health care top of mind for voters, Republican candidates should be forced to defend their out-of-touch views

Tonight, five Republicans running for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District will face off on the debate stage to make their case to voters. In a crowded primary with no clear frontrunner, the candidates are running all the way to the right and disqualifying themselves with the general election electorate, falling over themselves to voice their support for doing away with the Affordable Care Act, including protections for the 335,300 people in OK-05 with pre-existing conditions.

With health care top of mind for voters amid a global pandemic, here are three questions Terry Neese, Stephanie Bice, David Hill, Janet Barresi and Miles Rahimi must answer during tonight’s debate:

Do Neese, Hill, Barresi and Rahimi agree with Stephanie Bice that Oklahoma should not expand Medicaid coverage to 200,000 more low-income Oklahomans who desperately need affordable health care?

Do Neese, Bice, Hill, Barresi and Rahimi agree with President Trump’s refusal to reopen the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which would have extended the opportunity for millions of recently jobless Americans to buy health insurance?

Do Neese, Bice, Hill, Barresi and Rahimi believe that Medicare should be empowered to negotiate lower drug prices for all Americans?

Statement from Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairwoman, Alicia Andrews:

“Central Oklahomans look for compassion, common-sense, and an independent streak in their leaders. No matter which Republican emerges from this lackluster field, they’ll be heading into the general election on defense, forced to explain why they are refusing to expand affordable health care to people who need it and why they are advocating for powerful insurance companies instead of the hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans with pre-existing conditions.”

###