Front-runner Biden fights back attacks
Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden came under heavy fire over healthcare, immigration and criminal justice reform on Wednesday, but fought back against a stage full of rivals eager to knock him off his perch during a contentious debate.
On the second of back-to-back nights of debates among Democrats vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in 2020, the former vice president came prepared to do battle after facing criticism for his sometimes wobbly performance in the first debate in Miami last month.
Striking a sharper and more aggressive tone, he tangled with rival Kamala Harris over healthcare, taking up a growing fight that has split the Democratic Party and dominated the first candidate encounter in Detroit on Tuesday.
He ridiculed Harris' contention that the US senator's recently unveiled healthcare plan would not require a middle-class tax increase or the elimination of private insurance plans.
In an exchange with Julian Castro, the former housing secretary under Obama, Biden criticized Castro's plan to decriminalize illegal border crossings.
"If you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back. It's a crime," said Biden.
The debates come about six months before Iowa holds the first nominating contest, and the two nights in Detroit could be the last chance for many of the lower-tier contenders to make an appearance on the national debate stage.
The Democratic National Committee will double its fundraising and polling requirements to qualify for the next debates in September and October, leaving out more candidates and raising questions about their ability to continue their campaigns. So far, only about a third of the field has met the qualifications.
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